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THE LIBRARY OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF
NORTH CAROLINA
THE COLLECTION OF
NORTH CAROLINIANA
ENDOWED BY
JOHN SPRUNT HILL
CLASS OF 1889
C630.6
N8a
19S8/60
UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL
00033953721
This book must not
be taken from the
Library building.
J
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2011 with funding from
Ensuring Democracy through Digital Access (NC-LSTA)
http://www.archive.org/details/biennialrepagric19581960
*<vdh Gasi/dina
Biennial Repxvd
1958-1960
BIENNIAL REPORT
for 1958-1960
NORTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
L. Y. BALLENTINE. Commissioner
RALEIGH, N. C.
10-60 iViM
ABOUT OUR COVER PICTURE
Throughout this report there is a recurring theme, which
can best be summarized by the term "science in agricul-ture".
Both benefits and problems attending the rapid
shift of farming from a skilled profession to a highly scien-tific
buiness are discussed in the various chapters of this
book.
Symbolizing the many scientific services of the North
Carolina Department of Agriculture so essential to today's
farmers is the Soil Testing Laboratory pictured on our
cover. The high investment required for modern farming
leaves no room for guesswork in farming operations, and
only laboratories can provide many of the needed certain-ties.
It would be impossible to list the department's labora-tories
on a priority-of-importance basis. All contribute
significantly to the farm-to-table "assembly line" which now
constitutes agriculture. They include seed, fertilizer, feed,
insecticide, dairy, grain, cotton, food, diagnostic labora-tories
for livestock and poultry, and others. And not all
the department's technical services are performed in lab-oratories.
Every division of the department renders serv-ice
to farmers and North Carolina citizens in technical or
highly specialized fields.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Board of Agriculture 4
Personnel : 5
Commissioner's Summary 13
Highlights of Board Meetings 26
Accounting Division 31
Chemistry Division 38
Credit Union Division 47
Dairy Division 49
Entomology Division , 53
Markets Division 58
Museum Division 86
Publications Division 94
Research Stations Division 97
Seed Testing Division 109
Soil Testing Division 112
State Fair Division _. 1 14
Statistics Division 116
Veterinary Division 119
Warehouse Division 128
Weights and Measures Division 131
STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE
L. Y, Ballentine, Coynmissioner
Ex-Officio Chairman
J. Atwell Alexander 1 Stony Point
W. I. Bissette .._.Grifton
Glenn G. Gilmore Julian
Hoyle C. Griffin Monroe
Claude T. Hall Roxboro
George P. Kittrell Corapeake
J. Muse McCotter . New Bern
Charles F. Phillips Thomasville
J. H. Poole West End
A. B. Slagle Franklin
PERSONNEL
of the
STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
June 30, 1960
L. Y. Baixentine, Commissioner
Administration
John L. Reitzel Assistant Commissioner
Hazel I. Horner... Stenographer III
Barbara J. Medlin Steyiographer II
Doris B. Wofford Clerk IV
Division of Accounts
Grace H. Malloy ..Auditor
Gaynell Bullltck... Assistant Cashier-Agriculture
Josie W. Douglas Accounting Clerk I
Elsie W. Jordan.... Accountant I
Mary E. Henthorn .....Accounting Clerk I
Sarah C. Jones — Accounting Clerk I
Louise W. Howell ..Accounting Clerk II
Elizabeth W. Mitchiner Accounting Clerk I
Linda A. Rhodes Stenographer II
Lena P. Sockell Accounting Clerk I
Mary M. Strickland Accounting Clerk HI
Lunelle Yeargan ..Cashier Department of Agriculture
Publicity and Publications
M. Pauline DeCosta ...Public Information Officer HI
William E. Gulley Public Information Officer I
Joseph A. Hunter Clerk II
Yvonne C. Moore Stenographer II
Bettye T. Rogers Clerk I
Inspection
Stanley E. Berkshire Feed. Fertilizer and Insecticide Inspector I
George A. Brown, Jr Feed, Fertilizer and Insecticide Inspector I
E. H. Cooper Tax Auditor HI
Ewell E. Evans ...Tax Auditor II
Harvey C. McPhaii Feed, Fertilizer and Insecticide Inspector I
James R. Stevens Feed, Fertilizer and Insecticide Inspector II
Markets
John A. Winfield Director Agriculture Markets
William W. Allen Marketing Specialist II
Wilbur S. Brannan Marketing Specialist III
Ruby P. Britt Stenographer III
Janice N. Burke Stenographer II
Charles L. Campbell, Jr Marketing Specialist I
John H. Cyrus Marketing Specialist HI
Jay P. Davis, Jr... Marketing Specialist IV
Louise T. Dunn Stenographer HI
Charles B. Elks Marketing Specialist II
Ollie W. Faison Marketing Specialist IV
6 N. C. Department of Agriculture
Cleo M. Gault... Laboratory Technician I
Joe B. Gourlay Marketing Specialist III
Elmer C. Green Marketing Specialist 111
Thomas E. Green, Sr Marketing Specialist III
Evelyn G. Harper Stenographer III
Clarence E. Harris, Jr... ._ Marketing Specialist II
Wendell P. Hedrick Marketing Specialist IV
James F. Hockaday, Jr Marketing Specialist II
Julius P. Jenrette Marketing Specialist IV
Fred P. Johnson ._._ Marketing Specialist IV
Wallace G. Johnson Marketing Specialist II
Anna C. Jordan Stenographer II
Ethel Y. Kiker Marketing Specialist III
Katherine B. Koppen Stenographer III
Frances A. Lancaster Stenographer II
William E. Lane Marketing Specialist III
Staley S. Long, Jr Marketing Specialist II
Mable J. Marshall... Stenograi)her II
Hugh B. Martin Marketing Specialist IV
Neill A. Morrison, Jr 1 Marketing Specialist III
Charles G. Murray Marketing Specialist III
Hobart W. Myrick Marketing Specialist HI
Mary L. Norman Stenographer II
Lanelle S. Phillips Accounting Clerk II
Melvin J. Pierce Marketing Specialist II
Arthur K. Pitzer Marketing Specialist III
Phoebe D. Powers Stenographer III
H. D. Quessenberry Marketing Specialist IV
Joan E. Regal ....Accounting Clerk I
B. S. Rich Marketing Specialist IV
Walter M. Sawyer Marketing Specialist II
Carson W. Sheffield Marketing Specialist IV
Beatrice L. Smith Stenographer III
Horace A. Smith Marketing Specialist III
Robert W. Southerland Marketing Specialist II
Annie R. Strickland , Stenographer II
Curtis F. Tarleton Marketing Specialist IV
Carl H. Tower.. _ ..Marketing Specialist IV
Euris R. Vanderford Marketing Specialist II
Pauline M. Watkins Typist I
Dewey C. Wayne Marketing Specialist IV
Dairy
C. W. Pegram , Director of Dairy Services
Lafayette H. Boykin, Jr Dairy Specialist II
Elmo H. Hollomon , Dairy Specialist II
Paul R. Jordan, Jr Bacteriologist III
W. L. McLeod Dairy Specialist II
Robert L. Merritt Laboratory Helper
Claude W. Moss Dairy Specialist II
Francis Patterson Dairy Specialist III
Mary M. Weathers Stenographer II
Giles M. Williams Dairy Specialist II
Entomology
C. H. Brannon State Entomologist
Hugh I. Alford, Jr Entomologist II
Patsy H. Davis Stenographer II
James F. Greene _ Entomologist II
J. A. Harris Entomologist III
Roy M. Schmarkey _ Entomologist II
Jesse F. Sessions Entomologist II
D. L. Wray Entomologist III
Report for 1958-60
—
Personnel 7
Seed Laboratory
Willard H. Darst Director of Seed Testing
Shirley S. Bowling Seed Analyst I
Magdalene G. Brum mitt Seed Analyst III
Mahlon B. Dickens Seed Specialist
Stella W. Etheredge Seed Analyst II
Pearl G. Gray Stenographer II
Virginia B. Griffin Seed Analyst I
James C. King Seed Specialist
Theodora W. King Seed Analyst I
Murphy G. McKenzie, Jr Seed Specialist
Donald R. Mohorn Seed Specialist
Ewald Smith Seed Analyst II
Mitdred W. Thomas Seed Analyst II
Analytical
E. W. Constable State Chemist
Henry W. Barnes, Jr. Chemist IV
Elizabeth F. Bartholomew Microanalyst
Samuel C. Boyd Laboratory Helper
Z. B. Bradford Chemist IV
Burney A. Britt Chemist II
David E. Buffalo Chemist IV
James A. Chapman Laboratory Helper
J. Whitt Davis.. Feed. Fertilizer and Insecticide Inspector I
John J. Dean, Jr Chemist I
John J. Filicky Chemist II
Evelyn A. Freeman _. Stenographer I
Alicegrae F. Ferreli Typist HI
Robert L. Freeman..- Food, Drug and Cosmetic Inspector
Chas. H. Goodwin, Jr Food, Drug and Cosmetic Inspector
Samuel H. Hintox Laboratory Helper
Velva E. Hudson Typist III
Harold L. Jackson Chemist II
Jesse G. Jernigan Chemist II
Vera C. Johnson Chemist I
Frances H. Ledford Stenographer II
H. D. Matheson ._ Chemist II
W. P. Matthews Chemist IV
Harry A. Miller Chemist VI
Priscilla A. Morgan Stenographer II
William A. Morgan _. Laboratory Helper
Fred P. Nooe Food, Drug and Cosmetic Inspector
H. F. Pickering Chemist IV
L. M. Nixon Chemist V
J. S. Pittard Chemist IV
L. B. Rhodes Food Chemist
Clyde W. Roberts ...Food, Drug and Cosmetic Inspector
Don H. Smith... Laboratory Helper
William Sylver, Jr Laboratory Helper
Robert N. Tulloch ...Chemist II
Muriel M. Weathers... Chemist II
Hazel L. Willis Stenographer III
Crop Statistics
John T. Richardson Administrative Officer
Raymond R. Alford, Jr Miscellaneous Duplicating Machine
Unit Supervisor—G.S. 4
Mary S. Allen Research Analyst I
8 N. C. Department of Agriculture
Louise W. Byrum Research Assistant
Joel W. Carroll Stenographer II
Ben E, Clayton, Jr. _ Statistician I
Charles H. Cross, Jr Duplicating Machine Operator III
John S. DeCourcy Analytical Statistician G-S-"
Martha F. Early Research Assistant
Josephine S. Edwards Research Assistant
Terry M. Edwards ._ ... Duplicating Machine Operator II
Evelyn L. Finch Vari-Type Operator II
Helen K. Frazier : Research Assistant
Ida L. King Research Assistant
Mary F. Lloyd. __ Vari-Type Operator II
Carrie M. Mann Research Assistant
Janie H. Murph Research Assistant
Robert H. Tilley Statistician—GS-1
Olaf Wakefield Analytical Statistician—GS-JS
Harry A. White.... Analytical Statistician—GS-12
Rosa M. Wrede.. ._ Research Assistant
Soil Testing
Eugene J. Kamprath Director of Soil Testing
John 0. Anderson ...Laboratory Helper
Lula S. Bell Typist I
Elizabeth F. Chabot Stenographer I
Carolyn 0. Copeland Chemist I
Ruth S. Gardnek Chemist II
Arthur Giles ....Laboratory Helper
Mary G. Goff Chemist I
Carolyn C. Holt... Stenographer II
Alice J. Honeyxutt Stenographer II
Juanita U. Matthews Laboratory Technician II
Gerald D. McCart Agronomist I
Alice F. McLamb ..Typist I
Elizabeth J. Nipper... Chemist I
Dorothy R. Thornton Stenographer III
Peggy R. Upchurch ...Stenographer I
Charles D. Welch Agronomist II
Vetekinary
Hal J. Rollins State Veterinarian
Josephine A. Allen Stenographer III
William A. Andrew Poultry Specialist I
John D. Baker Veterinarian III
Marvin A. Batchelor Livestock Inspector
Charles R. Border Veterinarian III
Lawrence E. Bowers Veterinarian III
Wilma N. Boykin Laboratory Technician I
Patsy E. Britt.. Laboratory Technician II
G. I. Bullock _. Livestock, Inspector
Rowland H. Butler. . Laboratory Helper
Allie W. Carter.. Livestock Inspector
Julius B. Cashion Poultry Specialist I
Jesse J, Causby Poultry Specialist II
Kenneth G. Church Poultry Specialist I
William W. Clements Veterinarian II
Eugene C. Couch — Poultry Specialist I
James H. Clegg Poultry Specialist I
Alton L. Corbett Livestock Inspector
Report for 1958-60
—
Personnel 9
Lilly F. Daughtry Stenographer II
Guy E. Dowd Poultry Specialist I
W. J. Elkins Poultry Specialist II
L. J. Fourie Poultry Specialist III
James A. Frazier Poultry Specialist I
George D. Fuller Livestock Inspector
William B. Griffin Veterinarian II
Julian E. Guyton Poultry Specialist I
Ralph Hamilton Veterinarian II
Elizabeth R. Helms.... Laboratory Technician II
Frank Howard, Jr Laboratory Helper
Geneva C. Hunt Stenographer II
G. W. Ivey .....Poultry Specialist II
R. Russell Jeter Veterinarian II
Altstin R. Johnson Veterinarian II
William H. Justice Veterinary Virologist
James D. Kelley Poultry Specialist I
Irene K. Kilpatrick Laboratory Technician II
Mary L. Kinsaul Laboratory Technician II
Betty S. Lambeth ._ Stenographer II
Fred D. Long _ Poultry Specialist I
Hugh T. McDaniel, Jr Veterinarian II
Paul C. Marley.. Poultry Specialist I
Barbara W. Matthis Laboratory Technician II
Lola S. Mitchell Stenographer II
Christine B. Oliver Laboratory Technician III
Herbert R. Palmer, Sr Livestock Inspector
Peter S. Penland Poultry Specialist I
Lucy D. Ponder Laboratory Technician III
Othell H. Price Stenographer II
Verlin E. Reese Poultry Specialist I
James U. Richardson .....Laboratory Helper
Terrell B. Ryan Veterinarian III
Phil R. Sandidge Poultry Specialist I
George C. Smith Laboratory Helper
Dixie D. Southard Poultry Specialist I
Herbert L. Spellman Clerk I
Michael G. Walsh, Jr Veterinarian II
Louise D. Waugh Laboratory Technician II
Kenneth C. Wilkins Laboratory Helper
Theron S. Williams Veterinarian III
John R. Woody Poultry Specialist I
Auburn L. Wright Poultry Specialist I
Thomas F. Zweigart, Jr Director Diagnostic Laboratories
Research Stations
Cecil D. Thomas ...Director of Research Stations
Julia N. Murray Stenographer II
George F. Stanley Administrative Assistant of Agriculture
J. L. Rea, Jr.... _ Farm Superintendent II
Elwood A. Allen Senior Herdsman
Herbert W. Allen Farm Foreman II
Fenner B. Harris Herdsman I
Jacqueline S. Harrison Stenographer I
J. M. Carr Farm, Superintendent II
Norman E. Callahan Farm Foreman II
Elizabeth Floyd Stenographer II
Joanne C. Hatton Typist II
Chester Kearney Feed and Farm Laborer
10 N. C. Department of Agriculture
Alton E. Wood Agriculture Research Assistant IV
Clyde Z. McSwain, Jr.. __. _ ..Farm Superintendent II
Susan D. Kii.lebrew.___ Stenographer I
Robert M. Smith Farm Foreman II
Thilbert A. Suggs___. Agriculture Research Assistant IV
Randolph Whitley____ Herdsman I
Murray R. Whisenhunt Farm Superintendent II
Theodore R. Burleson, Jr.... _._ Poultryman II
Rufus Curtis _ __ Dairyman
James R. Edwards. _ Agriculture Research Supervisor II
Bernice H. Harrell Stenographer II
Garfield Harris Farm Foreman II
William C. Holder Dairyman
Dana P. Tugman Farm Superintendent II
Ruth S. Gambill Stenographer I
Gordon D. Sheets Farm Foreman II
Dan L. Taylor Herdsman I
Jesse W. Sumner... __ Farm Superintendent II
Ernest W. English Poultryman
Jacob B. Matthews Dairyman
Melvin G. Richert ..._ Dairyman
John Sasser, Jr Farm Foreman II
B. L. Williams Stenographer II
Warren H. Bailey Farm Superintendent II
Vester N. Baird Dairyman
Samuel J. Childs ...Agriculture Research Supervisor II
Vollie A. Coleman Farm Foreman II
Henry L. Greer .._. Agriculture Research Assistant II
Anne Lentz Stenographer II
Clark W. Walker Agriculture Research Supervisor II
Opal Woody _ ._ ..Dairyman
Furney W. Brittain Farm Superintendent II
Julia L. Skinner Typist I
Wallace J. Dickens Farm Superintendent II
William K. Brock Farm Foreman II
Ruth 0. Lane Typist I
Weights and Measures
C. D. Baucom Superintendent of Weights & Measures
John I. Moore Weights and Measures Inspection Supervisor
Walter R. Burnette Heavy Duty Scale Inspector I
Joyce G. Carter __ Stenographer II
Emerson B. Deese, Jr Liquid Fertilizer Specialist
Grady F. Hall Weights and Measures Inspector
Marion L. Kinlaw, Jr Weights and Measures Inspector
Grover R. Kiser Weights and Measures Inspector
Rufus A. Malloy Weights and Measures Inspector
Jerry L. Morris Heavy Duty Scale Inspector I
Ned A. Powell Heavy Duty Scale Inspector II
William D. Taylor Weights and Measures Inspector
James M. Vestal, Jr : Weights and Measures Inspector
Frances A. Wilson __ Stenographer II
Dan C. Worley—_ _ Weights and Measures Inspector
State Museum
H. T. Davis Museum Director
Ludie V. Ashe _____ __ Maid
Julian W. Johnson Museum Exhibits Designer
Ernest R. Jones Janitor-Messenger
F. B. Meacham _ Zoologist
Report for 1958-60
—
Personnel 11
Julia L. Nowell Stenographer II
Sara D. Prince ...Clerk I
Custodial
Robert Harris Stock Clerk I
Vernon A. Williams Stock Clerk I
Raleigh Farmers Market
James A. Graham Manager
Virginia P. Johnson Stenographer III
Gasoline and Oil Inspection
C. D. Bavcom Director of Gasoline and Oil
Carey M. Ashley ....Chemist I
Milton Barefoot Gasoline and Oil Inspector
Maddrey W. Bass Gasoline and Oil Inspector
Malver L. Boyette... Gasoline and Oil Inspector
Frederick H. Bunn Calibrator
Glenn R. Cates Chemist I
Lonnie E. Cayton... Calibrator
Harvey Clodfelter, Jr Chemist I
Jack C. Connolly, II Chemist I
Milton C Converse _. Chemist II
Joseph Denton Gasoline and Oil Inspector
Paul H. Etheridge ...Chemist I
J. A. Galloway Gasoline and Oil Inspector
Roy B. Hallman Gasoline and Oil Inspector
Elliott Harrison Laboratory Helper
Hugh F. Hayes Chemist II
Horace E. Herman Calibrator
Ira G. Holloway Gasoline and Oil Inspector
Laura E. Hood Stenographer I
Edwin H. Hutchins ....Chemist II
William M. Johnson Liquefied Gas Inspector
Dorval T. Jones Chemist I
Herman L. Jones... ._ Gasoline and Oil Inspector
Lucy E. Jordan... Chemist I
Richard W. King Gasoline and Oil Inspector
Gertrud Lare Accounting Clerk II
Curtis R. Lindsay Gasoline and Oil Inspector
Robert H. McArver Gasoline and Oil Inspector
Harold W. Mohorn Chemist I
Robert E. Mullen Chemist I
Francis W. Oakes Gasoline and Oil Inspector
W. T. O'Briant Gasoline and Oil Inspector
Douglas M. Pait Gasoline and Oil Inspector
William H. Perry Calibrator
Parley B. Rasmussen, Jr Chemist II
Clyde W. Reeves ..Gasoline and Oil Inspector
James R. Rivers Gasoline and Oil Inspector
Milton H. Rowe, Sr Gasoline and Oil Inspector
H. L. Shankle Chemist V
J. T. Shaw ....Chemist II
Dallas C. Shearin Liquefied Gas Engineer
Harry W. Shelton ...Chemist I
Ray D. Sigmon Gasoline and Oil Inspector
Koy S. Smith Gasoline and Oil Inspector
David B. Spivey Calibrator
Betty P. Strobel ...Stenographer II
12 N. C. Department of Agriculture
Ralph G. Thornburg. —Chemist II
James E. Turpin Gasoline and Oil Inspector
Leon E. Van Brunt Calibrator
Betty M. Weathers Chemist I
Jimmy L. Woodall . Chemist I
Howard L. Woodlief —.Chemist I
Mildred B. York _ Stenographer II
Cooperative Inspection Service
Eldridge C. Price Marketing Specialist III
Peggy Y. Smith..... Accounting Clerk II
Egg Marketing Act
Stuart A. Glover, Jr Marketing Specialist III
Henry S. Kennett Marketing Specialist I
Sara A. Peele ._ Stenographer II
George H. Turner, Jr Marketing Specialist II
State Warehouse System Supervision
A. B. Fairley _ Warehouse System Superintendent
Hazel K. Cobb Clerk II
Hallie K. Morrow. Stenographer II
Frank C. Person.. Warehouse Examiner
Martha E. Swindell Stenographer II
Structural Pest Control Commission
Harry B. Moore, Jr Entomologist III
Naomi B. Casey Stenographer I
James T. Spencer Pest Control Inspector I
Credit Union Supervision
W. V. Didawick —Credit Union Administrator
A. S. Bynum Fiscal Examiner II
Charles T. Jones Fiscal Examiner II
Carl B. Martin Fiscal Examiner II
Esther M. Parrish Stenographer II
Howard L. Pijahn Fiscal Examiner III
Voluntary Meat Inspection
Jean W. Stallings Stenographer II
BIENNIAL REPORT
OF THE
NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
By L. Y. Ballentine
Commissioner of Agriculture
Along with the rest of the nation, North Carolina's agricul-ture
has been going through a "technological revolution." This
has taken place swiftly, most of it within the past decade, and
represents great progress. But many of the problems which
inevitably attend progress have come to a head all at once during
the past two years.
For the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, then, the
outstanding characteristic of the 1958-1960 biennium has been
a sharp increase in the multiplicity and complexity of technical
problems.
Farmers and the agencies which serve them have had to cope
with many perplexities growing out of practices and materials
developed by research in recent years for more efficient agricul-tural
production. Although relatively new, such developments
have already become necessities if our shrinking farm popula-tion
is to feed our growing nation and if our farmers are to
keep their heads above water financially.
Yet with its many new research techniques and equipment,
science itself has been going through something of a "techno-logical
revolution." Therefore, today's scientific discoveries fol-low
each other so closely that the application of one may be
knocked down by another following at its heels. Farming
methods or materials which have just recently come into general
usage are called into question, or placed under restriction, almost
over-night.
Technology is responsible, too, for new methods of manufac-turing,
selling and applying fertilizers, agricultural chemicals
and other materials for farm production. These have presented
many new problems during the past biennium in devising regu-latory
provisions based on research recommendations, such as
time and rate of application, and measures to protect the farmer
from deficiencies in the quality or quantity of the products he
buys.
Another change which has been taking place in recent years,
14 N. C. Department of Agriculture
and which has sharply accelerated during this biennium, is the
ever closer inter-relationship between agricultural production
and its end use. At every stage—from seed variety selection
through methods used in planting, cultivation and treatment, to
harvesting procedures and preparation for market—farmers
must have in view the market demands at the ultimate-consumer
level. In fact this view really begins in the industrial and gov-ernment
research laboratories.
In short, it has been two years of dealing with an increasing
number of highly intricate matters. These have called for ex-tremely
close coordination of the regulatory, administrative and
service programs of the State Department of Agriculture with
the work of state, federal and industrial research agencies.
Fortunately, the long and fine cooperative relationship between
the department and these agencies has made the increasingly
exacting requirements for coordination as easy as possible under
the circumstances.
A typical instance, and one of the most difficult problems
confronting farmers and farm agencies during this biennium,
was a number of sudden new federal restrictions on pesticide or
antibiotic residues in food. The N. C. Department of Agricul-ture
has cooperated with the Experiment Station, the Extension
Service, other agricultural agencies, and the industries selling
to farmers and processing farm products, in an intensive educa-tional
program designed to keep the farmer informed of devel-opments
and to emphasize the necessity for his exercising the
utmost care in the use of these materials.
In its regulatory activities, the department has worked closely
with research personnel in developing measures which afford
the citizens of this state the same assurance of safety in buying
foods moving only in intra-state commerce as is afforded by
federal requirements for products moving across state lines.
We have changed or expanded administrative procedures to meet
the new needs, which involved new or increased inspection, equip-ment
and staff for new laboratory procedures, and sometimes
new interpretations of legal or regulatory measures in the light
of new conditions.
It has been necessary to make many of these changes and ad-justments
at very short notice; but every effort has been put
forth to make them in such a way as to work the least possible
hardship on farmers or the industries serving them, while afford-ing
everyone concerned the full protection of the laws we ad-
Report for 1958-60
—
Administration 15
minister. This has involved intensive work and study on the
part of departmental staff and members of the Board of Agri-culture.
It has required long hours of public hearings and dis-cussions
at meetings of the Board, and presented many knotty
problems for the Board's decision. Often it has meant a careful,
step-by-step approach, going only so far at one time as we could
act on the basis of somewhat limited current knowledge. Regu-latory
measures such as those governing fertilizer-pesticide mix-tures,
high-fiber feeds for poultry and a number of new dairy
products, which have been adopted with specific time limits on
their effective period so that review at relatively short intervals
would be mandatory.
Continuing, of course, has been the department's increasing
emphasis on marketing both traditional and new lines of agri-cultural
production. We have also stepped up emphasis on qual-ity
as well as volume of production.
Coordinated educational programs have increased the use of
services offered by the department to help farmers cut produc-tion
costs and operate more efficiently. A notable example is the
"Operation Soil Test" conducted in 30 of the state's counties dur-ing
the past two years, described in the Soil Testing Division
chapter of this report. This movement affords an inspiring
illustration of what can be achieved when agricultural and busi-ness
leaders join hands at the local or county level. It reflects
a growing recognition among all segments of the state's com-munities
that agriculture is our most basic industry and that it
offers the greatest potential for economic expansion. There have
been many such cooperative programs in counties or areas to
encourage efficient production of high-quality agricultural com-modities
and to provide marketing or processing industries to
utilize the farm production.
North Carolina's burgeoning agriculture, the increasing di-versity
of its farm production, and the continuing cost-price
squeeze has enhanced the farmer's need for all the great variety
of service and regulatory programs of this department. And
the department's many responsibilities for protecting both farm
and non-farm users of goods and services have also become more
complicated by reason of rapid technological developments in
both the ingredients and sales patterns for consumer products.
It cannot be denied that this biennium has been two years of
strain on farmers, agricultural agencies and agricultural indus-tries.
But there has been general recognition that these were
16 N. C. Department of Agriculture
the problems of progress, and there has been a wonderful spirit
of cooperation among those concerned in working out solutions.
Nevertheless, I should not fail to point out that meeting the
increased demands and emergencies during this biennium has
meant stretching the human and physical resources of the De-partment
of Agriculture beyond what is reasonable or even prac-tical.
And we are not over the hump. Both regular and emer-gency
demands on the department can be expected to increase
in volume and importance for some time to come.
Certainly we can expect new problems in the biennium ahead,
added to those not yet solved. Some will need handling by legis-lative
amendment ; some will necessitate regulatory action by the
Board of Agriculture; some will demand changed or expanded
administrative procedures ; and some will require action at all
three of these levels. But I have every confidence that all con-cerned
will tackle the problems in the spirit of progress they
represent.
Legislation
Several new or amended laws enacted by the 1959 General
Assembly have greatly assisted us in carrying out our responsi-bilities.
Already, however, some of these require further amend-ment
to meet the conditions of these swiftly moving times. Other
new legislation is being requested to effect adequate enforcement
of responsibilities already placed in this department or to meet
new needs and demands which North Carolina citizens have a
right to expect from their Department of Agriculture. I will not
in this section attempt to discuss all the legislation pertaining
to the department enacted in 1959 or to be requested in 1961.
Many of these are reported by the various divisions in other
chapters of this book. However a few basic measures should
be mentioned here.
New types of fertilizers, involving new methods of selling and
applying them, required changes in the fertilizer laws. Amend-ments
were enacted by the 1959 General Assembly to afford the
farmer fuller protection under the current pattern of fertilizer
manufacture and distribution. Also, to facilitate inspection and
other enforcement measures, the fertilizer law was amended to
make mandatory the "reporting system" for paying inspection
taxes which had been legal on a voluntary basis since 1949. An-other
amendment removed from restrictions of the official ferti-lizer
grade list packages of fertilizer weighing less than 25
Report for 1958-60
—
Administration 17
pounds. All of these amendments have greatly facilitated our
enforcement work. However, in administering them it has been
found that there should be minor amendments to some other sec-tions
of the law to clarify them or remove ambiguities resulting
from the major amendments in 1959.
The feed law was also amended in 1959 to afford much needed
protection to the farmer in the growing trend toward "custom-mixed"
or bulk deliveries of feeds. In this law, too, the pre-viously
voluntary "reporting system" was made mandatory. And
here, too, administrative experience has indicated the need for
some clarifying amendments to other sections of the law. In the
case of both laws the need for further amendment could not have
been clearly foreseen; only the details of administration could
reveal the gaps or ambiguities. But with the background of
two year's administrative experience, amendments can now be
worked out which we believe will fully coordinate each law and
remove doubtful language, within the present framework of
these laws. Of course, both the feed and fertilizer industries are
undergoing rapid technological changes and developments which
undoubtedly will, from time to time, necessitate new or amended
sections in the laws governing them.
New developments require extensive revision of the North
Carolina Seed Law, which are discussed in more detail in the
Seed Testing Division chapter of this report. Problems con-nected
with fertilizer-insecticide mixtures, a practice which
many farmers insist is necessary to cut production costs, have
been thrashed out in extensive public hearings before the Board
of Agriculture. Temporary regulations have been adopted on
the basis of current knowledge. It is hoped that the remaining
difficulties can be ironed out through regulation, but it is possible
that some additional legislation will be needed.
One of our most important legislative requests is for a law to
make mandatory the state inspection of meat and poultry, and
an appropriation of funds to carry out its provisions.
The administration of this department and members of the
State Board of Agriculture believe they would be derelict in
their duty if they failed to make this request and emphasize its
importance. Under federal law such inspection is mandatory
for meat and poultry products crossing state lines, and in-spection
cost is paid for out of federal funds. This gives the
federally inspected plants the advantage of free inspection along
with the sales advantage that comes from being able to offer
18 N. C. Department of Agriculture
inspected products. Under state voluntary inspection laws, in-spection
costs must be borne by the processing plants. There-fore,
the state inspected plants are at a competitive disadvantage
with federally inspected plants ; and many small plants can stay
in business only by selling inferior products at reduced prices.
Whether state or federal, the inspection service is for the benefit
of the public. Therefore, plants engaged only in intrastate busi-ness
should not be required to pay for their inspection any more
than the federally inspected plants. Most important of all, North
Carolina consumers of meat and meat products are entitled to
the health protection that mandatory inspection would afford.
Activities Of The Administrative Offices
The previously cited need for ever closer coordination between
agricultural agencies, both government and private, requires the
Commissioner and other administrators of the Department of
Agriculture to serve with numerous committees or groups at
state, interstate and federal levels. Currently the Commissioner
of Agriculture for North Carolina is a member of the Executive
Committee and chairman of the Transportation Committee of
the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture;
a member of the U. S. Department of Agriculture Advisory Com-mittee
on Cooperative work under the Agricultural Marketing
Act with the State Departments of Agriculture.
In the state he is a member of the Board of Directors of the
Agricultural Foundation of North Carolina State College, a
member of the Cotton Promotion Committee, the N. C. Board
of Farm Organizations and Agencies, and chairman of the North
Carolina Committee on Migrant Labor. Since its formation
in 1958 he has been vice-chairman of the Governor's Advisory
Farm Committee, and was elected chairman shortly after the
close of this biennium. He is also a member of the Pesticide
Residue Committee formed early in 1960, comprising state and
federal regulatory and research agencies, farm organizations,
and industries directly concerned with this problem.
By legislation he is chairman of the State Board of Agricul-ture,
the State Board of Gasoline and Oil Inspection, and the
Board of Directors of the North Carolina Agricultural Hall of
Fame; a member of the North Carolina Milk Commission, the
Crop Seed Improvement Board and the Atomic Energy Advisory
Committee.
Report for 1958-60
—
Administration 19
Certain laws also provide for participation of department
personnel in the work of other state agencies. Under such a law,
Dr. W. H. Darst, head of the department's Seed Testing Divi-sion
is a member of the Crop Seed Improvement Board.
The Structural Pest Commission law provides for the appoint-ment
of a member of the department's Entomology Division staff
and another member representing the department at large. Since
its organization in 1955, Assistant Commissioner of Agriculture
John L. Reitzel has been the appointee representing the depart-ment
at large, and since July 19, 1959, he has been secretary to
the Commission. In 1955 Dr. D. L. Wray was appointed to rep-resent
the department's Entomology Division on the commission,
and served as its secretary until July, 1958. On the expiration
of his term of office in July, 1959, J. A. Harris was appointed as
the divisions' representative.
The Assistant Commissioner of Agriculture also represents
the department on the Animal Nutrition Committee at N. C.
State College.
All of these, and many other cooperative activities on the part
of the administrative staff, are essential to the effectiveness of
this department in carrying out its responsibilities.
Work assigned to the various divisions of this department is
described in chapters of this report prepared by division heads.
However, activities under several laws placed under the admin-istration
of the Commissioner of Agriculture are not covered in
other chapters. It is proper, therefore, that they should be re-ported
here.
One such law provides for the licensing and regulation of ren-dering
plants operating in this state. Unlike most laws adminis-tered
by this department, authority to adopt regulations is not
placed with the Board of Agriculture, but with the Commissioner
of Agriculture acting with the advice of a rendering plant inspec-tion
committee. Composition of the committee is specified by
law to be "one member who shall be designated by the Commis-sioner
of Agriculture and who shall be an employee of the De-partment
of Agriculture, one member who shall be designated by
the State Board of Health, and one member who shall be desig-nated
by the Director of the North Carolina Division of the
Southeastern Renders Association." Dr. H. J. Rollins, State
Veterinarian, has been the Department of Agriculture member
20 N. C. Department of Agriculture
designated to serve on this committee since it was organized in
1953. Other members are Dr. Martin P. Hines, veterinarian with
the N. C. Department of Health, and Joe Suggs of Rocky Mount,
representing the Southeastern Renderers Association.
There are now 14 rendering plants licensed to operate in the
state. All of these are inspected by members of the committee
at least once, some several times, each year to ensure continued
compliance with the law and regulations.
A law enacted in 1949 providing for supervision of all agri-cultural
fairs in the state is administered directly by the Com-missioner
of Agriculture because there are no funds appropriat-ed
for its enforcement and the inspection work is "farmed out"
among qualified department personnel. This arrangement has
worked out very well, so far, and the law has done much to elimi-nate
abuse of the name "fair" by undesirable fly-by-night car-nivals
and tent shows. Under the law, only bona fide agricul-tural
and industrial expositions may use the name "fair", and
those classified as commercial (charging admission or operating-traveling
shows or games) must be licensed by the Commissioner
of Agriculture. To obtain such license, the fairs must meet min-imum
standards adopted by the Board of Agriculture. In 1958,
there were 76 fairs licensed in the state. All of these were in-spected,
and only one failed to meet the requirements. Seventy-four
were licensed in 1959, of which 70 were inspected. One
failed to meet the requirements that year, and three were not
held.
Under a law enacted in 1953 to establish an Agricultural Hall
of Fame, plans have been progressing slowly but steadily and
as this biennium draws to a close the building of a suitable shrine
in the Agriculture Building has gone beyond the planning stage.
As this report goes to press work is under way to remodel and
decorate a first-floor room as a fitting memorial to present and
future members chosen for this high honor. The Board of
Directors will also select for display in the Hall of Fame mem-orabilia
having particular significance with respect to the state's
agricultural history.
The number of farm commodity groups availing themselves
of legislation permitting voluntary self-help assessments con-tinues
to increase. Any such assessment must be approved by
a two-thirds majority in a referendum authorized by the State
Report for 1958-60
—
Administration 21
Board of Agriculture to be held by the association it certifies
to be fairly representative of the growers of the commodity to
be assessed. The assessments are for the purpose of raising
funds to promote the use and sale of the commodities assessed.
A provision of the law allows an association the privilege of
requesting the Commissioner of Agriculture to collect the assess-ments
for it, and a number of associations have chosen this
method. Collections are made by the Commissioner and handled
through the department's Accounts Division. Total assessment
funds collected and turned over to the authorized associations
during this biennium were as follows
:
North Carolina Peanut Growers Association $113,689.40
North Carolina Cotton Promotion Association _ 52,600.65
North Carolina's Cattlemen's Association 50,213.23
North Carolina Peach Growers Society, Inc.,
(1 year) 3,009.25
N. C. Poultry Council, Inc. (initiated June
7, 1960) 2,186.21
The assessments have proved an effective tool in the promo-tional
work of these and other commodity associations, and many
of them have been overwhelmingly approved in several referen-dums.
The law provides that continuance of assessments must
be approved by a two-thirds majority in referendums held at
three-year intervals.
One of the state's most important self-assessment programs is
that popularly known as "Nickels For Know-How". It derived
this nickname from the fact that the assessment is five cents a
ton on all commercial feed and fertilizer purchased by the farm-ers
of this state, and the funds are used to supplement agricul-tural
research. Since enabling legislation was enacted in 1951
the farmers of this state have enthusiastically endorsed this vol-untary
levy in three referendums. The law provides that the
referendums shall be conducted jointly by the governing boards
of the North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation, the North Caro-lina
State Grange and the North Carolina Agricultural Founda-tion,
Inc., with the approval of the State Board of Agriculture.
It also stipulates that the assessment shall be collected by the
Commissioner of Agriculture along with feed and fertilizer in-
22 N. C. Department of Agriculture
spection taxes and remitted by him to the North Carolina Agri-cultural
Foundation. The Foundation, in turn, allots the funds
where needed to supplement or support needed agricultural
research and dissemination of research findings. During this
biennium "Nickels For Know-How" collected and turned over to
the Foundation totaled $318,103.82. It is noteworthy that in the
eight years since this program was initiated, the "nickels" col-lected
total $1,274,649 and they have done much to help bring
our farmers the "know-how" essential for their adjustment to
the "technological revolution."
Personnel Changes
In September, 1958, Elwood Mintz was appointed head of the
department's Publications Division, a post left vacant by the
death of Blackburn W. Johnson on July 3, 1958. Mr. Mintz
brought to this position an excellent background of first-hand
farming knowledge and a number of years' experience in agri-cultural
publications with the N. C. Agricultural Extension
Service. However, he resigned in October, 1959, to accept a
position as director of public relations for a private concern.
In January, 1960, Mrs. M. Pauline DeCosta was appointed to
succeed Mr. Mintz as head of the Publications Division. She
had held the position of assistant head of that division since 1948,
and was well qualified for this promotion by reason of both train-ing
and on-the-job experience. She was most fortunate in ob-taining
the services of William E. Gulley to fill the post of as-sistant.
He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina
with an A.B. in journalism, and came to the Department of Agri-culture
from the State Advertising Division of the N. C. Depart-ment
of Conservation and Development where he had worked for
four years as a public information officer. Prior to that he had
been for six years a production supervisor at the University of
North Carolina Communications Center in Chapel Hill.
Near the end of this biennium Mrs. Doris B. Wofford, who
had been my secretary since 1949, gave notice that she was
leaving this position to be married in mid-August. In her nearly
12 years with the department she had not only shown excep-tional
ability in this important key position, but had endeared
herself to co-workers and to hundreds of people who have had
occasion to visit the Commissioner's office during this time.
Miss Carolyn Harmon, of Lincolnton, has been appointed to fill
Report for 1958-60
—
Administration 23
this position. She comes to the department with both the train-ing
and personality to uphold the high standards set by Mrs.
Wofford. She is a graduate of Appalachian State Teachers Col-lege
with a B.S. degree in business education. Her experience
includes four years of teaching business administration in public
schools of Lincoln and Forsyth Counties.
In the spring of 1960 the department lost by death a veteran
member of its technical staff who had made a fine contribution
to the state's livestock industry. Linville V. Amburgey, who
died on April 26, had been microscopist in the department's feed
laboratory for 22 years. The first microscopist employed by the
department, and the only person to hold that position up to the
time of his death, he was a trail-blazer and pioneer in his field
of technology in feed control work. He had long been nationally
recognized as one of the very top men in this field. Carrying on
this phase of the department's feed analysis work is Mrs. Eliza-beth
F. Bartholomew, who had trained under Mr. Amburgey for
several years prior to his death.
Several members of the department's staff received outstand-ing
honors during this biennium. In June, 1959, North Caro-lina
State College conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of
Science upon W. H. Darst, head of the department's Seed Test-ing
Division. This degree was awarded, the citation said in
part, "because of Mr. Darst's 39 years of devoted service and
notable accomplishments in the field of agriculture."
Dr. Darst can also take a share of pride in another award.
On July 18, 1960, Miss Susie D. Allen, for many years his assist-ant,
received the annual award conferred by the North Carolina
Seedsmen's Association "for outstanding service." This honor
has added significance by showing that the lustre of Miss Allen's
"outstanding service" to agriculture had not dimmed after seven
years of retirement.
Dr. H. J. Rollins, State Veterinarian, was named Honor Vet-erinarian
of the Year by the North Carolina State Veterinary
Medical Association at its annual meeting in Asheville on June
22, 1960. He received a plaque inscribed : "For years of faithful
and distinguished service to this association and to the progress
of veterinary medicine."
The department takes great pride in these honors conferred
upon members of its staff, past and present. They are all richly
deserved and mark many years of dedicated devotion to duty.
24 N. C. Department of Agriculture
The department can well be proud also of the fine service ren-dered
by its personnel as a whole. As stated previously, this
has been a biennium of stretching all the department's resources
and in many instances its human resources have been stretched
the farthest. Certainly the administration of the department
and the people of North Carolina owe a debt of gratitude to many
staff members who have voluntarily and willingly given every
ounce of their energies to meeting the demands.
State Board of Agriculture
North Carolina is most fortunate in its Board of Agriculture,
the regulatory and policy making body for the Department of
Agriculture. Its membership currently, and by long tradition,
represents the finest kind of intelligent agricultural leadership
and dedicated public service.
The Board consists of 10 members appointed by the Governor
for six-year terms of office. However, the law provides for
staggered terms, so that not all expire at one time, and requires
that the members shall be active farmers, representing the major
sections and types of agriculture in the state.
The increasing technical complications during this biennium
have, of course, placed commensurately heavier burdens upon
the Board. Members have given without stint of their time and
talents to the business of the Board, not only in formal sessions
but in travel and other activities to further the interests of the
department and North Carolina agriculture.
These are all busy farmers and businessmen. Except for a
very nominal pay for days actually in session or traveling on
business for the Board, their only compensation is the knowledge
that they are serving their state. Naturally, these are the kind
of men called upon for numerous non-paid public services and
they perform many such civic services. Yet with all of the de-mands
on their time, they are ever ready to make personal sacri-fices
to carry out their responsibilities as members of the Board
of Agriculture.
For example, members recently made a tour of the 16 Research
Stations administered by this department. .The location of these
stations all over the state meant three weeks of traveling to visit
and study the facilities and programs of the stations. To be
effective, the tour had to be scheduled during the summer months,
Report for 1958-60
—
Administration 25
a time when these farmer-members were in their busiest season
;
yet nearly all participated and several made the entire tour.
This is typical of the conscientious attitude of Board members
toward the duties of their office.
Beginning on the following page is a summary of matters
brought before the Board in sessions totaling 12 days during this
biennium. This gives some idea of the duties and responsibilities
of this truly "working" Board.
HIGHLIGHTS OF BOARD MEETINGS
1958-60 Biennium
August 12, 1958
Raleigh
High Fiber Feed
For Poultry
Chemical Meat
Tenderizers
October 13, 1958
Raleigh
Pub. Div. Head
Appointment
Present: J. Atwell Alexander, W. I. Bissette, Glenn G.
Gilmore, Hoyle C. Griffin, Claude T. Hall, George P. Kit-trell,
J. Muse McCotter, Charles F. Phillips, J. H. Poole,
A. B. Slagle.
Held public hearing, heard committees recommendations
and adopted temporary regulations governing high fiber
feed for pullets and young turkey hens.
Held public hearing, heard committee's recommendations
and deferred action on permitting use of chemical meat
tenderizers by meat processors.
Present: J. Atwell Alexander, W. I. Bissette, Glenn G. Gil-more,
Hoyle C. Griffin, Claude T. Hall, George P. Kittrell,
J. Muse McCotter, Charles F. Phillips, J. H. Poole, A. B.
Slagle.
Approved appointment of Elwood Mintz as head of Pub-lications
Division, a position left vacant by the death of
Blackburn W. Johnson.
Appointment of Approved appointment of Mrs. Pauline DeCosta as secre-
Secretary to Bd. tarv to the Board.
Lecithin in
Malted Milk
Pressurized
Cream
Bulk deliveries
of Feeds
Operation of
Sweetpotato
Warehouses
March 9, 1959
Raleigh
Whipped Cream
in Pressurized
Cans
Mobile Soft Ice
Cream Units
Kight-of-way
Easement For
Electricity
Soybean Cyst
Nematode
Held public hearing and amended regulations to permit
addition of lecithin to malted milk.
Continued discussion of regulations to govern pressurized
cream in cans and deferred action for further study.
Continued discussion from previous meeting on regulatory
problems with bulk deliveries of feeds and deferred action
pending further study of needed regulatory provisions.
Adopted regulations governing sweet potato warehouses.
Present: J. Atwell Alexander, W. I. Bissette, Hoyle C.
Griffin, Claude T. Hall, George P. Kittrell, J. Muse McCot-er,
Charles F. Phillips, J. H. Poole, A. B. Slagle.
Held public hearing on whipped cream in pressurized con-tainers
and deferred action after appointing a committee
to make recommendations at the next meeting.
Held public hearing and adopted regulations governing
operation of mobile frozen dessert manufacturing units.
Approved right-of-way easement to Albemarle Electric
Membership Corporation to bring electric service to swine
diagnostic laboratory at Edenton.
Adopted regulations revising regulated areas under the
soybean cyst nematode quarantine.
Appropriation Authorized committee from board to petition the legis-
Control
tChWeed lature for appropriation for witchweed control program.
Swine importation Held public hearing and amended regulations governing
ia?es
M
Dates importation of swine into state, and governing dates of
sales at public livestock markets.
Report for 1958-60
—
Administration 27
May 25, 1959
Raleigh
Present: J. Atwell Alexander, W. I. Bissette, Glenn G.
Gilmore, Hoyle C. Griffin, Claude T. Hall, George P. Kit-trell,
J. Muse McCotter, Charles F. Phillips, J. H. Poole,
A. B. Slagle.
storage of Amended warehouse regulations raising from 50 to 100
Lespedeza Seed ^e maximum number of bags of lespedeza seed on which
a warehouse receipt may be issued.
State Fail-
Audit Report
Received report from Department of State Auditor of audit
for the North Carolina State Fair for the calendar year
1958.
State Fair Man-ager
Appointed
Re-appointed Dr. J. S. Dorton to serve as manager of the
North Carolina State Fair for another year.
Cucumber Sizes Held public hearing and amended weights and measures
regulation dealing with cucumber size standards and
measures to permit further separation of sizes, after pur-chase
by standard sizes.
High Fiber Feed
For Poultry
Postponed action on a request for permission to change
labeling high fiber pullet feed until these temporary regu-lations
could be reviewed in a public hearing before their
expiration date.
Non-protein Referred request to increase non-protein nitrogen content
Nitrogen in Feed
jn daj[ry Ieeri supplement to Nutritional Committee at State
College for recommendations.
Butterfat Re-quirements
For
Cream
Held public hearing, heard committee's recommendations
and adopted regulations for fluid whipping cream, aerated
cream and sterilized cream, single cream, sour cream,
whipping and whipped cream, half-and-half cream and the
display and advertsiing of non-dairy products. A further
study of regulations for 18% butterfat whipped and steril-ized
cream was recommended.
May 26, 1959
Raleigh
Present: J. Atwell Alexander, W. I. Bissette, Glenn G. Gil-more,
Hoyle C. Griffin, Claude T. Hall, George P. Kittrell,
J. Muse McCotter, Charles F. Phillips, J. H. Poole.
Fertilizer
Grade List
Held public hearing and adopted official fertilizer grade
list for fiscal year 1959-60.
Insecticide-
Fertilizer Mix
Repealed section of regulations permitting mixture of cer-tain
insecticides in fertilizer.
Labeling Liquid
Fertilizer
Adopted regulation requiring labeling of liquid fertilizer.
Nitrogen
Solutions
Adopted list of nitrogen solutions permitted for registra-tion
and sale.
80 Pound
Fertilizer Bag
Proposal that 80 lb. fertilizer bag be added to bag weights
list was defeated.
Warehouse
Loan
August 10, 1959
Raleigh
Approved a loan from the Warehouse Fund in the amount
of $40,000 to Sampson Cotton Warehouse, Clinton, for con-struction
of additional warehouse space.
Present: J. Atwell Alexander, W. I. Bissette, Hoyle C.
Griffin, Claude T. Hall, George P. Kittrell, J. Muse McCot-ter,
Charles F. Phillips, A. B. Slagle.
28 N. C. Department of Agriculture
Peanut Belt Approved exchange of lands along one boundary of the
Bounda?
Statl0n Peanut Belt Research Station to straighten property line.
Mountain Research Approved acquisition of small parcel of land to accommo-station
Land jjate a kuri ey tobacco barn at the Mountain Research Sta-tion.
whipped and Heard report of committee on 18-percent butterfat whipped
Sterilized Cream cream an(j sterilized cream and deferred action.
High Fiber
Poultry Feed
High Urea Feed
Supplement
Held public hearing to review temporary regulations gov-erning
high-fiber poultry feed and voted that they be con-tinued
in effect until September 1, 1960. Also amended label-ing
provisions to clarify purpose of feed.
Refused permission to manufacture to sell to farmers feed
supplement with higher urea content than is permitted in
mixed feeds.
Egg Referendum
October 12, 1959
Raleigh
Approved the North Carolina Poultry Council as agent to
hold referendum among egg producers on question of as-sessment
to raise funds for promotional purposes.
Present: J. Atwell Alexander, W. I. Bissette, Glenn G. Gil-more,
Hoyle C. Griffin, George P. Kittrell, J. Muse McCot-ter,
Charles F. Phillips, J. H. Poole, A. B. Slagle.
Re-appointed Oath of office administered by Judge R. Hunt Parker to
?°^d
n^th
m
nf
rs Mr. Griffin, Mr. Kittrell and Mr. Phillips, re-appointed to
the Board of Agriculture for new six-year terms.
Take Oath of
Office
Cotton Referendum Authorized the North Carolina Cotton Promotion Associa-tion,
Inc. to hold a referendum among cotton growers on
the question of continuing the assessment for promoting
the use and sale of this crop.
Departmental
Audit
Received from Mrs. Grace Malloy, head of the Accounts
Division, report on audit of the North Carolina Depart-ment
of Agriculture for the year ended June 30, 1958, pre-pared
by the Department of State Auditor, and a financial
report for the department for the year ended June 30, 1959.
Lespedeza Seed
Regulations
Held public hearing on a proposal to relax seed regulations
to permit the sale of a "No. 2" lespedeza seed. Appointed
a committee to study this matter and make recommenda-tions
to the Board.
January 4, I960
Raleigh
Present: J. Atwell Alexander, W. I. Bissette, Hoyle C.
Griffin, Claude T. Hall, George P. Kittrell, J. Muse McCot-ter,
Charles F. Phillips, J. H. Poole, A. B. Slagle.
Swine Diagnostic
Lab Telephone
Right-of-Way
Approved granting of right-of-way easement to Norfolk
and Carolina Telephone and Telegraph Company at Edenton
Swine Diagnostic Laboratory.
Warehouse Loan Approved loan from Warehouse Fund of $75,000 to Fred
Webb, Inc. of Greenville for construction of additional
grain storage.
insecticide Fer- Held public hearing and approved regulation permitting
tihzer Mixtures s}x graaes f fertilizers and four insecticides for mixtures.
'Nickels for Know- Authorized N. C. Agricultural Foundation, N. C. Farm Bu-
How" Referen- reau Federation and N. C. State Grange to hold a referen-dum
among the state's farmers on the question of continu-
Report for 1958-60
—
Administration 29
Lespedeza Seed
Regulations
Urea in Feed
Supplement
Capital Improve-ment
Budget
ing the assessment of five cents per ton on feed and ferti-lizer
to provide funds for supplementing agricultural re-search.
Heard report from committee on study of "No. 2" lespedeza
seed regulations and violation control. Approved increas-ed
enforcement, investigation of licensing seed cleaners
and recommended continued study of the situation by the
committee.
Heard proposal to raise maximum percentage of urea in
feed supplements, deferred action pending a public hear-ing.
Discussed and approved capital improvements budget re-quests
for the Department of Agriculture for the 1961-1963
biennium.
Publications Head Approved promotion of Mrs. M. Pauline DeCosta to position
Appointment
of head of Publications Division, filling the vacancy left by
the resignation of Elwood Mintz.
January 13, I960
Raleigh
Present: J. Atwell Alexander, W. I. Bissette, Claude T.
Hall, George P. Kittrell, J. Muse McCotter, Charles F.
Phillips, J. H. Poole.
Additional Fert- Approved addition of four grades of fertilizers to list al-cide
Mixtures ready approved for mixture with insecticides, and adopted
regulations governing insecticide-fertilizer mixtures.
Peach Referen-dum
Approved North Carolina Mutual Peach Growers Society,
Inc., as authorized agency to hold referendum among peach
growers on question of assessment for promotional pur-poses.
March 7, I960
Raleigh
Budget Requests
Grower-Handlers
Contract Regu-lations
June I, I960
Raleigh
Fertilizer
Grade List
Other Fertilizer
Regulations
Present: J. Atwell Alexander, W. I. Bissette, Claude T.
Hall, George P. Kittrell, J. Muse McCotter, Charles F.
Phillips, J. H. Poole.
Heard heads of divisions of Department explain proposed
budget requests for 1961-1963 biennium. Approved budget.
Held public hearing and amended regulations to require
certain provisions in all contracts between growers and
handlers of farm products.
Present: J. Atwell Alexander, W. I. Bissette, Glenn G. Gil-more,
Hoyle C. Griffin, Claude T. Hall, George P. Kittrell,
Charles F. Phillips, J. H. Poole, A. B. Slagle.
Held public hearing and adopted official fertilizer grade
list for fiscal year 1960-61.
Considered and took action on other fertilizer regulations
in open hearing as follows:
1. Amended labeling requirements for "Fish Pond Ferti-lizer."
2. Discussed problem of proper labeling of fertilizer
containing urea-formaldehyde. Deferred action.
3. Reviewed regulations governing fertilizer-insecticide
mixtures. Deferred action until Experiment Station could
make recommendations on the basis of research under way
and publish its annual Pesticide Manual in November.
30 N. C. Department of Agriculture
Plant Pest
Quarantines
Placed an expiration date of December 1, 1960, on regula-tions
in effect for such mixtures, subject to review in pub-lic
hearing before that date.
Revised regulated areas under quarantine for witchweed,
soybean cyst nematode, white fringed beetle and sweet
potato weevil.
June 2, I960
Raleigh
Warehouse Loans
Grain Storage
Facilities
Apple Growers
Referendum
State Pair
Audit
State Fair
Paving
Appointment of
State Fair
Manager
Research Stations
Tour
Present: J. Atwell Alexander, W. I. Bissette, Glenn G. Gil-more,
Hoyle C. Griffin, Claude T. Hall, George P. Kittrell,
Charles F. Phillips, J. H. Poole.
Approved loans from Warehouse Fund as follows: To King
Brothers Farm Center, Ayden, for additional grain storage
facilities, $35,000; to House Milling Co., Newton Grove, for
additional grain storage bins, $5,000.
Heard report from O. W. Faison, NCDA grain marketing
specialist, on state's 10-year progress in grain storage ex-pansion
and need for still further increases.
Approved request from North Carolina Apple Growers As-sociation
for authorization to hold a referendum on the
question of an assessment on commercial apple growers to
promote the use and sale of North Carolina apples.
Received and discussed report on audit of the North Caro-lina
State Fair for the calendar year 1959, prepared by the
Department of State Auditor.
Heard report from Dr. J. S. Dorton, State Fair Manager,
on losses in 1959 by reason of extra expenses incurred in
dealing with problem of mud during the entire Fair Week.
Recommended use of Permanent Improvement funds on
hand to pave all fairground walkways and put gravel on
parking lots before the 1960 State Fair.
Commended Dr. J. S. Dorton for splendid service under
adverse conditions, and approved his re-appointment as
Fair Manager for the ensuing year.
Approved a tentative schedule for Board members to visit
the 16 Research Stations operated by the Department of
Agriculture.
ACCOUNTS
Grace H.
M
alloy
Auditor
This division serves as the central fiscal and personnel divi-sion
for the Department proper and for sixteen other special
and General Fund programs. Responsibilities of this division
include : acceptance of receipts, including the collection of taxes
and fees and the collection of assessments for six agricultural
promotional organizations and foundations, the disbursement of
funds, budget maintenance and control, procurement, and per-sonnel
affairs.
Financial reports of the department and the various divisions.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Code 28721
STATEMENT OF DISBURSEMENTS
July 1. 1958-June 30. 11)60
Summary by Purposes 19.19-60 1958-59
I. Administration $ 44,845.26 $ 41,602.77
Accounting Office 53,310.40 51,497.84
Publicity & Publications 38,732.34 37,052.47
II. Inspection 70,307.56 62,032.59
III. Markets ._ 364,906.49 349,037.00
IV. Dairy ... 67,056.55 62,357.86
V. Entomology 80,262.92 80,151.77
VI. Seed Laboratory ___ 88,045.73 84,586.42
VII. Analytical 1 238,875.80 228,340.45
VIII. Crop Statistics 158,800.29 152,700.87
IX. Soil Testing ._ 103,957.45 98,444.74
X. Veterinary ...._ 438,047.97 368,361.15
XI. Research Stations 561,419.95 493,740.56
XIII. Weights & Measures 98,149.07 90,516.54
XIV. State Museum 35,209.05 32,388.85
XV. Custodial 18,436.48 18,180.44
XVI. Miscellaneous 126,269.50 122,102.98
XVII. Farmers Market 30,439.27 29,951.09
XVIII. Merit Salary Increments
XIX. Reserves
Total Expenditures $2,617,072.08 $2,403,046.39
32 N. C. Department of Agriculture
Summary by Objects 19-59-60 1958-59
11. Salaries and Wages . $1,751,424.85 $1,636,924.21
12. Supplies and Materials ..:_.. 176,771.91 147,069.10
13. Postage, Tel., Tel., and Express 39.550.68 36,001.24
14. Travel Expense ._ 199,503.85 188.835.74
15. Printing and Binding 30,477.42 29,703.19
16. Motor Vehicle Operation . 16,629.06 15,696.09
17. Light, Power and Water 12,156.57 10,596.48
18. Repairs and Alterations __ 41,531.92 16,812.95
19. General Expense 111,525.48 116,207.49
22. Insurance and Bonding .. 5,085.17 3,803.88
23. Equipment _.._ 112,996.35 54,789.91
32. Additions and Betterments 35,163.68
33. Stores for Resale 15,407.52 19,711.38
Contribution to Retirement System and Social
Security Coverage 104,011.30 91,731.05
Reserves
Merit Salary Increments ___
Total Expenditures $2,617,072.08 $2,403,046.39
Less Transfer from RMA 52,033.86 60,034.79
Less Transfer from AMA 2,583.85 2,970.37
Less Transfer from USDA
Cooperative Agreement _ 3,232.96 2,140.82
Less Research Station Perquisites 11,985.00 11,376.66
Less Transfer from Cooperative Inspection
Service, Code 28731 3,726.00 3,726.00
Less Transfer from State Warehouse
System, Code 28727 3,283.00 3,283.00
Less Peanut Handler's Licenses 1,890.00 1,820.00
Less Sale of Equipment 4,895.09
Less Raleigh Farmer's Market 13,880.19 11,845.49
Less Transfer from N. C. State College 331.00
Total $2,519,231.13 $2,305,849.26
CONDITIONS OF FUNDS
Treasurer's Cash—June 30 $ 31,678.02 $ 127,214.19
Investments in Bonds and Premiums on Bonds 103,874.98 103,874.98
Total Credit Balance June 30_. __ ...$ 135,553.00 $ 231,089.17
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Code 28721
STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS
July 1, 1958—June 30, 1960
1959-60 1958-59
Fertilizer Tax - $ 384,762.63 $ 427,926.26
Cottonseed Meal - 179.39 1,351.50
Feed Tax - _ 382,443.93 392,048.81
Report for 1958-60
—
Accounts 33
1959-60 1958-59
Seed Licenses _._ 29,736.00 30,059.00
Condimental Feed - 9,065.00 9,480.00
Serum 17,616.72 19,191.76
Costs __ 12,166.30 11,783.13
Linseed Oil 294.44 591.32
Bleached Flour 6.090.00 7,395.00
Bottling Plants „_ 1,410.00 1,460.00
Ice Cream 3,560.00 2,430.00
Insecticides 36,757.00 32,850.00
Research Stations 173,834.68 173,494.24
Bakeries _. 2,670.00 2,670.00
Chicken Tests -... 75,160.06 73,061.23
Seed Tags 20,970.31 31,856.45
Inspection Entomology ._ .: 10,894.00 10,333.50
Oleomargarine 1,050.00 1,100.00
Rabies
Land Plaster & Agri. Lime 23,805.02 28,937.23
Fertilizer Registration 7,813.00 7,472.00
Miscellaneous 84.41 78.80
Feed Registration 8,166.00 8,105.00
Canned Dog Food Registration 481.00 1,200.42
Lime Registration 340.00 345.00
Livestock Marketing Permits 5,900.00 4,800.00
Dog Food Stamps 12,232.67 11,619.85
Hatchery Fees & Supplies 4,203.89 4,601.00
Permits for Out-of-State Milk 700.00 550.00
Anti-Freeze Permits 2,175.00 3,350.00
Weights & Measures Fees 9,317.50 9,102.50
Garbage Permits 476.00 542.00
Babcock Testers Licenses 214.00 210.00
Tobacco Curers Tags 4,641.00 3,675.00
Sampler's Licenses 490.00 422.00
Interest on Bonds 2,500.00 2,500.00
Land Plaster Registration 35.00 15.00
Rendering Plants 150.00
Total Agricultural Receipts $1,252,234.95 $1,316,758.00
Contribution from General Fund 1,171,460.00 1,050,000.00
Total Revenue $2,423,694.95 $2,366,758.00
CONTRIBUTION FROM THE GENERAL FUND
General Fund—Code 28021
STATEMENT OF DISBURSEMENTS
July 1, 1958—June 30, 1960
Revenue Appropriation $1,246,279.00 $1,157,438.00
Expenditures
Contribution to Department of Agriculture
—
Code 28721 _ 1,171,460.00 1,050,000.00
Unspent Balance of Appropriation 74,819.00 107,438.00
34 N. C. Department of Agriculture
GASOLINE AND OIL INSPECTION
General Fund—Code 12201
STATEMENT OF DISBURSEMENTS
July 1, 1958—June 30, 1960
1959-60 1958-59
Revenue Appropriation ___. $ 331,464.00 $ 301,270.00
Disbursements 314,096.99 285,388.53
Unspent Balance of Appropriation 17,367.01 15,881.47
STATE WAREHOUSE SYSTEM—SUPERVISION
Special Fund—Code 28727
FINANCIAL STATEMENT
July 1, 1958—June 30, 1960
Credit Balance—July 1 $ 14,287.32 $ 16,602.70
Receipts
Revenue Collections _ 42,027.51 40,923.25
Miscellaneous Collections 4,361.19 123,242.13
Disbursements
Expenditures 41,673.55 43,328.17
Miscellaneous Expenditures 4,985.38 123,152.59
Credit Balance—June 30 14,017.09 14,287.32
STATE WAREHOUSE SYSTEM—PRINCIPAL
Special Fund—Code 28729
STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS
July 1, 1958—June 30, 1960
Casb on Hand—State Treas. July 1 $ 23,879.63 $ 228.95
Receipts
Repayment of Loans 74,024.00 71,424.00
Total Availability 97,903.63 71,652.95
Disbursements
Purchase of Bonds 47,773.32
Loans to Warehouses 75,000.00
Judgment and Costs ._ 6,536.41
Treasurers Cash—June 30 16,367.22 23,879.63
Loans to Warehouses 542,420.00 541,444.00
Invested in 2%% U.S. Gov't Bonds 152,000.00 152,000.00
Total Worth—June 30 710,787.22 717.323.63
COOPERATIVE INSPECTION SERVICE
Special Fund—Code 28731
STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS
July 1, 1958—June 30, 1960
Treasurers Cash—July 1 $ 192,981.65 $ 70,669.30
U.S. Treasury Bonds—2V2 % Par Value 40,000.00 40,000.00
Report for 1958-60
—
Accounts 35
1959-60 1958-59
Premiums on Bonds 1,175.00 1,175.00
Credit Balance—July 1 234,156.65 111,844.30
Receipts 433,368.89 553,461.67
Disbursements - 397,785.11 431,149.32
Credit Balance—June 30 269,740.43 234,156.65
EGG MARKETING ACT
Special Fund—Code 28733
RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS
July 1, 1958—June 30, I960
Credit Balance—July 1 $ 17,021.97 $ 13,413.64
Receipts _ _ -... 21,974.34 21,204.91
Disbursements 24,038.04 17,596.58
Credit Balance—June 30 .'. 14,958.27 17,021.97
STRUCTURAL PEST CONTROL
Special Fund—Code 28735
RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS
July 1, 1958—June 30, 1960
Credit Balance—July 1 $ 15,431.35 $ 14,987.87
Receipts 16,875.00 16,829.00
Disbursements __ 17,588.38 16,385.52
Credit Balance—June 30 14,717.97 15,431.35
VOLUNTARY POULTRY INSPECTION
Special Fund—Code 28737
RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS
July 1, 1958—June 30, 1960
Credit Balance—July 1 _ $ 2,161.70 $ 4,974.23
Receipts 31,422.25
Disbursements 34,234.78
Credit Balance—June 30 2,161.70 2,161.70
CREDIT UNION SUPERVISION
Special Fund—Code 28739
RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS
July 1, 1958—June 30, 1960
Credit Balance—Julv 1 $ 13,715.52 $ 6,608.07
Receipts 48,462.13 42,178.49
Disbursements 39,548.57 35,071.04
Credit Balance—June 30 22,629.08 13,715.52
DISTRIBUTION OF SURPLUS COMMODITIES
Code 28743
RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS
July 1, 1958—June 30, 1960
Credit Balance—July 1 $ 97,610.33 $ 116,580.26
Revenue Collections 9,610.25 17,576.21
36 N. C. Department of Agriculture
1959-60 1958-59
Disbursements 10,553.57 36,546.14
Credit Balance—June 30 ...._ 96,667.01 97,610.33
SHEEP DISTRIBUTION PROJECT
Special Fund—Code 28745
RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS
July 1, 1958—June 30, 1960
Credit Balance—July 1 $ 43,253.89 14,538.11
Revenue Collections 99,764.70 252,421.74
Disbursements 91,465.37 223,705.96
Credit Balance—June 30 51,553.22 43,253.89
N. C. AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AND MARKETING ACT
FEDERAL FUND
Special Fund—Code 28749
RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS
July 1, 1958—June 30, 1960
Credit Balance—July 1 $ 14,228.01 $ 12,056.24
Receipts—RMA Matching Fund 58,697.54 65,176.93
Disbursements
Markets Division Expenses in Connection with
RMA Project—Transferred to Code 28721 52,033.86 60,034.79
Crop Statistics Division Expenses in Connec-tion
with RMA Project—Transferred to Code
28721 2,583.85 2,970.37
Credit Balance—June 30 18,307.84 14,228.01
SPECIAL DEPOSITORY ACCOUNT REPORTING SYSTEM
Code—28751
STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS
July 1, 1958—June 30, 1960
Credit Balance—July 1 $ 9,750.00 $ 9,750.00
Receipts—(Cash Bond Deposits)
Reporting System 3,750.00
Handler's of Farm Products 5,000.00
Disbursements
Refund of Cash Bond Deposit Reporting System... 500.00 5,000.00
Refund of Cash Bond Deposit—Handler's of Farm
Products 5,000.00
Credit Balance—June 30 8,000.00 9,750.00
Report for 1958-60
—
Accounts 37
voluntary meat inspection
Special Fund—Code 28753
RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS
July 1, 1958—June 30, 1960
1 959-60 1958-59
Credit Balance—July 1 $ 8,123.33 $ 2,453.01
Receipts 73,924.39 49,996.29
Disbursements _ 68,695.65 44,325.97
Credit Balance—June 30 13,352.07 8,123.33
PERMANENT IMPROVEMENTS OF 1953
Code 65342
STATEMENT OF DISBURSEMENTS
July 1, 1958—June 30, 1960
Appropriation $ 3,219.53 $ 6,354.43
Disbursements 409.99 3,134.90
Unspent Balance of Appropriation 2.809.54 3,219.53
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS OF 1957
Code 65777
STATEMENT OF DISBURSEMENTS
July 1, 1958—June 30, 1960
Appropriation $ 72,986.16 $ 183,882.58
Disbursements 985.75 110,896.42
Unspent Balance of Appropriation 72,000.41 72,986.16
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS OF 1959
Code 65961
STATEMENT OF DISBURSEMENTS
July 1, 1958—June 30, 1960
Appropriation $ 85,700.00
Disbursements 47,921.30
Unspent Balance of Appropriation 37,778.70
DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY
Dr. E. W. Constable
State Chemist
The Division of Chemistry administers state laws dealing
with control of fertilizers; livestock and poultry feeds; insecti-cides;
foods, drugs and cosmetics; bottling plants, bakeries and
other food processing, storage and distribution facilities; auto-motive
antifreezes ; linseed oil ; and the application of pesticides
by aircraft.
Requirements which are common to most of these laws are
that the respective products shall bear specified, factual and in-formative
labeling and guarantees which must be lived up to.
For foods, drugs and cosmetics, further requirements are that
they shall be wholesome and free from adulteration or exposure
to insanitation, that drugs shall carry adequate directions for use,
cautions against misuse and, in the case of dangerous drugs,
notice of restricted sale. Pesticide labeling must give directions
for use, warning against danger, antidotes in case of accident
and first aid procedures according to the nature of the product.
Registration and clearance before sale is required for fertilizers,
livestock feeds, canned dog foods, bleached flour, insecticides
and automotive antifreezes. Those engaging in commercial
aerial application of pesticides are required to show adequate
knowledge to carry on this work, to procure state licenses, and
to carry liability insurance.
The activities of the Chemical Division for the biennium are
summarized in the following sections.
Commercial Fertilizers, Agricultural Liming
Materials and Landplaster
The fertilizer and lime laws require among other things, in-spection
of these products in all parts of the state to determine
compliance with labeling requirements, and the collection of
samples for analysis to determine if guarantees are met. Anal-yses
are made on fertilizers for content of nitrogen, phosphate,
potash, calcium, magnesium, chlorine, sulfur, boron, acid-form-ing
qualities, and trace elements such as manganese, copper,
iron, zinc and molybdenum; on liming materials for calcium,
Report for 1958-60
—
Chemistry 39
magnesium, acid-neutralizing value, fineness of particle size, and
potash when included ; and on landplaster for content of calcium
sulphate.
Coverage for the biennium was
:
Official fertilizer samples 21,138
Unofficial samples of fertilizers and
materials for farmers 60
Official liming materials, lime-potash and
landplaster 569
Total 21,767
Upon completion of individual analyses, reports were for-warded
to all concerned. Detailed results of the work were made
available to the public collectively in annual issues of the "Fer-tilizer
Report" published by the department for that purpose.
Results showed that these materials sold in the state during
the biennium were generally of good quality and measured up to
guarantees made for them. For the limited number of deficien-cies
found, consumers were reimbursed according to the penalty
provisions of the fertilizer law.
A problem of pressing nature is imposed by a trend on the part
of manufacturers to add the secondary plant food elements
(magnesium, calcium, sulfur and boron) to their fertilizer guar-antees
and to include in their advertising and sales promotional
material references to trace elements (manganese, copper, iron,
zinc and molybdenum).
Continued cropping of the soil depletes all supplies of plant
food elements, but in fertilizing we have been concerned more
with restoring to the soil the major plant food elements than with
replacing secondary and trace elements. This is creating prob-lems
which are demanding more attention.
The interest and welfare of fertilizer users, manufacturers
and all others concerned with agricultural matters can be prop-erly
safeguarded only by extending adequate control into these
new and expanding areas. This can be done only by adequate
extension of chemical work. In effort to meet this need, request
for provision for an additional chemist is included in the current
budget requests.
40 N. C. Department of Agriculture
Commercial Feeds
Commercial livestock and poultry feeds and canned dog foods
were inspected statewide for compliance with registration, label-ing,
inspection tax payment and other requirements. Official
samples were collected and analyzed chemically to determine the
content of crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, and content of
drugs; also microscopically to determine the ingredients com-posing
the products and the condition of these ingredients.
Coverage for the biennium was
:
Official feed samples 4,393
Unofficial feed samples 1,360
Analyses for medication in above feeds (452)
Total 5,753
Individual reports were forwarded to all concerned as anal-yses
were completed and details of all work made available pub-licly
in the annual "Feed Report". Results of the work show
that feed standards and quality were maintained on a normal
level.
A problem of particular concern is the greater amount of
chemical work which now is required to qualify a given number
of feed samples as compared with requirements of earlier years.
This is due to the large quantities of feed which now contain
such additives as drugs and growth stimulants. While analysis
for these additives is necessary to prevent fraud and destructive
competition and to assure the integrity of these feeds, it prac-tically
doubles the amount of chemical work required.
Accompanying these complications is the fact that feed con-sumption
in the state, for the decade 1950-1960, has increased ap-proximately
88.5 percent, while control coverage has not been
similarly expanded. In an effort to meet this problem, along
with the similar situation regarding fertilizer previously dis-cussed,
request is made in the 1960-62 budget for funds to em-ploy
additional feed and fertilizer chemists.
Economic Poisons
The work of this division in administering the law governing
insecticides, fungicides, rodenticides, defoliants and other pesti-cides,
follows much the same pattern as for feed and fertilizer
control work. It includes statewide inspection and collection of
Report for 1958-60
—
Chemistry 41
official samples for chemical analysis, reports on individual anal-yses
to the parties concerned and publication of an annual "In-secticide
Report" to make detailed results of the work available
to the public.
New pesticide residue restrictions have increased the work
load of this division more in its administration of food laws than
in activities under the economic poisons law. (See section of
this chapter headed "Foods and Drugs.") However, they have
added to the volume of work under the economic poisons act,
particularly in increased checking on registration and labeling
which have been subject to many changes under new federal
and state restrictions.
Following the practice in preceding biennial reports and the
annual Insecticide Reports, the results reported herein are based
on calendar years rather than on fiscal years, since insecticide
seasons naturally fit into that pattern and insecticide laws are
arranged accordingly.
Coverage for the biennium was as follows
:
Official samples 2,567
Unofficial samples 28
Total 2,595
Again the work of the biennium showed that standards were
maintained on a normal level and that generally satisfactory
products were supplied to users. Defective products were dealt
with as prescribed by law.
The insecticide work load has been increased by additional
pesticide-fertilizer mixtures permitted by regulations adopted
by the Board of Agriculture in response to an urgent demand
from farmers. The chemical work required to check these mix-tures
is more involved and more extensive than for the unmixed
products.
One apparent abuse which was dealt with involved the selling
of pesticides on an interstate basis. A pesticide sold from an-other
state direct to a consumer in North Carolina, for this con-sumer's
personal use only and not for resale, while being subject
to the federal law, is not subject to the state law. Certain manu-facturers,
presuming to sell on the interstate basis only, were
placing in the hands of North Carolina merchants lots of insecti-cides
in small packages and in volume such as to suggest resale
42 N. C. Department of Agriculture
as the only further practical outlet. The manufacturer, in
avoiding state registration, and neglecting to advise merchants
of the legal situation, gained a competitive advantage. Consum-ers
got less assurance as to the exact identity and quality of the
products purchased, and uninformed merchants stumbled into
violative operations. Corrective measures were instituted.
Aerial Crop Dusting
The aerial crop dusting law has served well to retain in this
line of work the more responsible operators, to reduce unscrup-ulous
competition, to restrain incompetent and irresponsible
operators, and to assure agriculture of a reliable aerial crop
dusting service. In the service rendered there have been no
complaints, but there have been complaints regarding dusts go-ing
beyond the intended bounds and onto neighboring property,
at times to the detriment of neighbors, particularly where this
resulted in annoyance or danger of insecticide residues in milk
and other foods.
This is an inherent difficulty with aerial crop dusting in small
fields, close quarters, and over rugged terrain. Continued effort
is directed toward fostering a better understanding and appre-ciation
of neighborly relations and interrelated welfare. The
law, however, is designed more toward the purpose of reliable
and responsible service in commercial crop dusting rather than
to infringement upon neighboring property. Some revision in
the law to extend its coverage more positively into the latter field
may be in order.
Licenses issued for the biennium were
:
1959 1960
Contractors 45 51
Applicators 95 79
Airplanes 83 65
Automotive Antifreezes
The North Carolina Internal Combustion Engine Anti-freeze
Law continues to serve as a highly effective instrument in assur-ing
consumers of adequate supplies of high grade products, in
relieving ethical manufacturers of unscrupulous competition, in
keeping spurious products off the market and in relieving North
Carolina merchants of the danger of entrapment in damage
Report for 1958-60
—
Chemistry 43
claims by buying and selling antifreezes which they formerly had
no way of satisfactorily evaluating.
Registrations totaled 89 brands for 1958-59 and 80 brands for
1959-60. These, representing 44 manufacturers, covered both
the alcohol or volatile types and the glycol or non-volatile type.
Foods and Drugs
The basic purpose of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Law is to
assure consumers of a safe, wholesome, honestly labeled supply
of these products. Among the requirements to accomplish this
is that the products be composed of sound and wholesome raw
materials, that they be handled, processed, packaged and stored
in a fully sanitary manner, and that environment, housing, equip-ment,
vehicles and other facilities be kept and used in a manner
to preclude exposure that may result in contamination.
Among the procedures for carrying out these purposes are
regular and systematic inspections with inspection reports as
permanent records, recommending corrections of unsatisfactory
conditions ; closures, embargoes or other actions as prescribed by
law. Summary of these activities follow.
Food Plant Inspections
Bakeries and Doughnut Plants 2,573
Bottling Plants 1,319
Other types of plants and storages (processing and
packaging meats, pickles, seafood, flour, meal,
candy, potato chips, fruits and vegetables, etc.) .3,050
Total 6,942
Plant Operations Suspended
Bakeries 30
Bottling Plants 15
Others, (as listed in preceding tabulation) 63
Total 108
Analyses of Samples, Embargoes
In addition to the foregoing inspections and actions, the state-wide
collection of samples and their analysis—chemical, physical,
44 N. C. Department of Agriculture
microscopic, optical, etc.—are indispensable tools in carrying out
the purposes of the law. The final determination of adultera-tion
and misbranding is dependent on such analyses.
The work of the biennium included the handling and checking
of 2,000 samples and 222 embargoes involving 1,770,000 pounds
of foods. The samples represented both satisfactory and unsat-isfactory
products. The embargoes represented all classes and
types of foods—cereals, flour, meal, meats, vegetables, fruits,
canned goods, bakery products, sugar, spices, candies, etc.—and
for various reasons such as misbranding, spoilage, insanitation,
contamination by filth, insects, rodents, worms and other ver-min,
damage from storms, fires, wrecks and other exposure, other
forms of adulteration and misbranding, both inadvertent and
intentional.
Fires, Floods, Storms and Wrecks
Fires, floods, storms and wrecks grievously include in their
toll large volumes of foods and drugs. Lack of knowledge of the
dangers involved from contamination and spoilage, and over-zealous
salvaging to minimize losses, can result in serious sick-ness
and injury to consumers. Supervision and direction of the
separation, qualification and disposal of these products is a crit-ical
part of the inspection work and it is given preferential at-tention.
Fourteen fires of significant proportion, in the cities and towns
of the state, involving some 740,000 pounds of products, valued
at $290,000. were handled during the biennium. Products in-volved
in storms and wrecks accounted for the handling of an
additional 740,000 pounds of products, valued at $82,000. Other
items similarly handled were two acres of cabbage, flooded with
sewage ; 23,500 lbs. of contaminated sugar ; 10,000 bushels brined
peppers, insect infested ; and 16,450 bushels salt stock cucum-bers,
spoiled.
Contamination
Contamination of foods and feeds with pesticides is of growing
concern. This arises from treating both growing and stored
crops with insecticides and from applying fungicides to seeds
and cereal grains for planting, then returning these to channels
for use as foods or in producing food oils, fats, and seed and
bean meals. Examples of such contamination are recent experi-ences
with cranberries, milk and other foods and current law-
Report for 1958-60
—
Chemistry 45
suits involving thousands of chickens damaged by feed composed
in part of treated grain. Quantities of grain, including one
240,000-pound lot of wheat, have been diverted to non-food use
because of such contamination. The problems presented by this
situation are further referred to in a following paragraph on
"Personnel".
Contaminated sugar, particularly in bags damaged and torn in
importation into Wilmington, North Carolina, caused extended
concern. It was contended that North Carolina's handling of
such contaminated sugar was more severe than in other states
and this appeared as a threat to divert imports away from North
Carolina ports. It hardly appeared logical that any state or
federal food control authorities would temporize in such matters.
The trouble was eliminated by the work of the division in coop-eration
with federal authorities in establishing a uniform written
code for qualifying imported sugar.
Drugs
Drug work for the biennium was applied to complaints and in-vestigations
of the illegal sale of drugs, the removal from open
sale of proprietary remedies containing dangerous drugs which
are limited to prescriptions, and cooperation with the Federal
Department in recalling from the market various lots of drugs
which were found to be unsafe. The sale of drugs through
vending machines was qualified as illegal since this manner of
sale would preclude the discretionary withholding of drugs from
minors and children who also purchase candy and gum from
such machines. No labeling could be devised to safeguard self-medication
as required by law, for those below the age of discre-tion.
This stand is concurred in by the State Board of Health
and the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy. The same stand,
taken also in the State of Maryland, was sustained in court action
in that state.
Personnel
The coverage in food control work, as has been set forth in
preceding reports and budgets, has not kept pace with normal
growth and development, and in certain respects has lost ground.
This results from the necessity to spread personnel ever thinner
in order to carry new work assigned to the department without
provision for personnel to handle it. This status has reached a
46 N. C. Department of Agriculture
critical stage now in the acute demand to maintain adequate safe-guards
against excessive pesticide residues in foods as discussed
in detail in a preceding section.
The only way to maintain such safeguard is the continuous
routine collection and chemical analysis of food samples to de-termine
the facts. It is an obligation of the department to get
this done. Since present limited personnel now in food work
(one food chemist full time and one part time, and four food in-spectors)
cannot hope to carry the load, budget request has been
made for funds to add four food chemists and two food inspectors
to the food control staff.
CREDIT UNION DIVISION
W. V. DlDAWICK
State Superintendent of Credit Unions
Submitted herewith is our report reflecting the operation and
condition of state chartered credit unions that are doing busi-ness
in North Carolina in the year ending June 30, 1960.
Practically all of the credit unions showed an excellent growth
during the two-year period covered by this report. The consoli-dated
figures reveal that the combined assets total $32,160,-
847.55, a net increase of $7,615,947.08 or 34 percent during the
two-year period covered by this report. During this period, the
total number of members increased from 94,000 to over 100,000.
During this period, the average loan made to members was
$375; and the real estate loans amount to 10 percent of the total
loans. Savings per credit union member average $330. These
figures reveal that the capital is well distributed among the
members, and that short-term loans are being made for emerg-ency
and provident purposes. Borrowed capital has only in-creased
by $215,000 since 1958, while reserves and undivided
profit have increased by more than $1,500,000.
Operating expenses amount to approximately 20 percent of
the gross income for each year. While this is an increase over
the previous years, it has become fairly stable in the last two
years. Dividends and profits paid to members in 1959 amounted
to $1,320,000, or an average of 4V-> percent on members' savings.
As required by Subchapter III, Chapter 54 of the General
Statutes of North Carolina, this division makes annual exami-nations
of all credit unions and followup visits when necessary.
The problem of inadequate records and poor management con-tinues
to be our chief source of trouble. In an effort to improve
this situation, this division, through its examiners, has helped
put on a three-day workshop at A & T College in Greensboro,
North Carolina, each year for credit union treasurers and the
supervisory committee members.
Since many credit unions have grown and their operations
have become more complicated, the need for certain amendments
to strengthen the credit union law is now apparent. As it now
stands, the law does not provide adequate authority to take nee-
48 N. C. Department of Agriculture
essary action in such cases as inadequate records, gross misman-agement,
or misappropriation of funds on the part of any credit
union officer or officers.
Credit unions file with this division semi-annual financial and
statistical reports, and they also pay fees to this division based
on their assets. The information contained in this report is
compiled from the semi-annual reports.
NUMBER, MEMBERSHIP AND ASSETS
OF STATE-CHARTERED CREDIT UNIONS
June 30, 1958 June 30, 1960
Active Credit Unions 232 238
Total Members - 83,658 100,000
Total Assets $24,544,900.47 $32,160,847.55
Average Dividend .042% .045%
NORTH CAROLINA CREDIT UNIONS
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET
June 30, 1958 June 30, 1960
ASSETS
Cash in Bank and on Hand $ 1,703,626.92 $ 1,444,044.66
Loans to Members .... 18,530,343.85 25,493,361.25
Investments and Bonds 3,829,265.13 4,339,292.65
Other Assets _ 481,664.57 884,148.99
$24,544,900.47 $32,160,847.55
LIABILITIES
Shares _ $19,867,044.27 $25,675,601.40
Deposits __._ 1,100,242.62 1,062,285.98
Reserve Fund 1,372,311.40 2,350,834.94
Undivided Earnings 537,270.55 1,296,835.87
Other Liabilities 1,668,031.63 1,775,289.36
$24,544,900.47 $32,160,847.55
DAIRY DIVISION
C. W. Pegram
Director
Dairying continues to be increasingly important to both the
economy and the physical well-being of North Carolina.
The state's gross dairy farm income alone was over 100 mil-lion
dollars in 1959, almost three times what it was in 1940, and
represented approximately 25 percent of the total gross income
from all livestock and livestock products.
The state has more than 4,200 farmers producing Grade A
milk, which is primarily for the bottled milk market, and last
year they sold nearly one billion pounds of milk to distributing
plants. Some 12,000 other farmers supply what is known as
"manufacturing" milk to cheese, butter, evaporated milk and
other processing plants, and their production totaled more than
105 million pounds in 1959.
While the work of the Dairy Division has consumer protection
as its primary purpose, it directly affects the welfare of dairy
farming and dairy processing industries. Steady increases in
the state's milk consumption over a period of years reflect both
continued improvements in production and marketing and con-sumer
assurance resulting from the state's regulatory programs.
Certainly farmers and dairy processors are to be congratu-lated
on the progress they have made by availing themselves of
new technologies for improved products and more efficient opera-tion.
Technological developments have taken place in the dairy
industry all the way from the cow to the consumer's doorstep.
These include farm bulk tanks, milking parlors, and artificial
breeding on farms ; along with flavor standardization and auto-mation
in processing plants.
However, as is typical of such innovations, some have created
new problems. One of the most serious of such problems con-fronting
this division during the past biennium resulted from
new discoveries of potential danger from penicillin and certain
pesticide residues in milk and other foods, followed immediately
by state and federal bans on the sale of foods containing even
the minutest trace of such residues. This situation called for
urgent and intensive action on the part of the Dairy Division.
50 N. C. Department of Agriculture
Within a period of only a few weeks, the division secured milk
samples from every Grade A dairyman in the state. These sam-ples
were tested for antibiotic residues, particularly penicillin
which is used in treating cows for certain diseases. It was most
gratifying to find that only a very small percentage of dairy
farmers were failing to withhold from the market for a sufficient
length of time milk from animals treated with the antibiotics.
In the few such cases found, division inspectors made follow-up
visits to see that proper practices were being followed.
Realizing the gravity of this problem agencies and industries
interested in every phase of dairying made a united effort to
inform all milk producers of the necessity for carefully follow-ing
directions in using antibiotics. As a result, dairymen are
giving excellent cooperation in preventing antibiotic residues in
milk. It is interesting to note that no evidence of penicillin has
been found on tests made on bottled fluid milk supplied to the
public.
The pesticide residue problems has arisen from the use of in-secticides
on milking cows, or on feed crops. Some insecticides
constitute a threat to the safety of milk for human consumption
if improperly used, as residues from them may be stored in the
fat of the human body and are considered accumulative to a
danger point. The test for pesticides is very complicated and
time consuming. A pesticide testing laboratory section has been
recently added to the central dairy products laboratory.
It is anticipated that the pesticide laboratory will be of great
assistance to the dairy industry since the present assay requires
specialized equipment, and highly trained personnel.
Preliminary surveys show no evidence of pesticides in our
finished market milk supplies. Pesticides have a very necessary
place on our farms, but it behooves dairymen to use them prop-erly.
Otherwise they will be unable to sell their milk.
One of the principal duties of the Dairy Division is to super-vise
the sampling and testing of milk and cream purchased on
butterfat basis. During the last biennium over 76,000 check
tests were made covering the sampling and testing of 233 licensed
samplers and 111 licensed testers, which required 1,669 official
investigations. The use of farm bulk tanks by dairymen has
made for more accurate and representative milk samples which
are a prerequisite for accurate butterfat tests. Samplers and
testers are required to take both technical and practical exami-nations.
Excellent cooperation has been received from the
Report for 1958-60
—
Dairy 51
licensed samplers and testers in this program. Milk plants have
also cooperated by acquiring additional equipment, such as elec-tric
water baths. Check testing is carried on in the central and
the two field laboratories.
The Milk Commission requires that market milk contain a
minimum butterfat content of 3.6 percent. Under a cooperative
arrangement, the Dairy Division makes the butterfat tests for
the Commission, and 2,890 such tests were made during the bien-nium.
In addition, this division makes other butterfat tests and
bacteria analyses on milk and dairy products to see that they
meet state-wide minimum standards for consumer protection.
Much time is devoted to the ice cream and frozen desserts in-spection
program. This work is carried on in field and labora-tory.
Samples are purchased wherever offered for sale and de-livered
to the central laboratory, where both chemical and bac-terial
analyses are made. When deficiencies are found, plants
are inspected to find the cause and see that corrections are made.
The Dairy Division cooperates with the Division of Weights and
Measures in checking weights of frozen desserts.
Innovations such as mobile frozen dessert units and dispenser
milk shake machines have added new responsibilities. Depots
for mobile units are required to have certain facilities necessary
for proper sanitation. During the past year improvement in
quality has been found in the various mixes used in these prod-ucts
such as soft-serve ice milk and milk shakes. This is in part
due to the use of single-service containers for the mixes.
During the past biennium 2,079 field inspections were made.
It was necessary to close 10 operators for failure to comply with
state standards during the biennium.
Modern laboratory techniques offer the consumer protection
as to quality, and 3,662 frozen dessert samples were given com-plete
analyses during the biennium. Laboratory findings make
for efficient field inspection. During the past year special em-phasis
has been placed on the elimination of high bacteria counts
which existed in the products of some plants and soft-serve
stores. This plan has been very effective, as marked improve-ments
in quality have been noted.
As improvements and "know how" have developed in the
processing of all foods, the frozen dessert industry has kept
pace with regard to purity and quality of product.
Since milk and all other dairy products are universally sold in
package form, the matter of proper labeling is of importance to
52 N. C. Department of Agriculture
consumers. All samples are carefully observed for proper label-ing
and corrections are required in instances where mislabeling
occurs.
The division continually checks for adulteration of milk, either
by carelessness or intent. A total of 5,896 samples were tested
by cryoscope for the presence of added water during the last two
years.
In addition to making butterfat tests for the Milk Commission,
the Dairy Division makes tests for the Federal School Lunch
Program, milk analyses for several local health departments,
and inspections for the U. S. Public Health Service covering
frozen desserts supplied to interstate carriers. Assays are also
made for several Army units that do not have laboratory facili-ties.
The division cooperates to the fullest possible extent in
meeting requests for assistance.
The Dairy Division administers the Milk Import Law which
is designed to assure consumers that the quality and wholesome-ness
of milk shipped into the state meets North Carolina stan-dards.
As North Carolina dairymen have materially increased
their milk production per cow and managed their operations for
better seasonal adjustment of supply, milk imports have steadily
decreased during the past 10 years ; although there was some
increase in 1959 because of the unusually severe winter. The
Dairy Division and the Milk Commission have been cooperating
to direct milk from plants having surplus to plants with short
supply within the state. This is a significant marketing program
which is resulting in better utilization of milk and tremendous
savings to both dairy farmers and processing plants.
DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY
C. H. Brannon
State Entomologist
The work of the Division of Entomology is based upon the
State Plant Pest Law which was amended in 1957 (Chapter 106,
Article 36). The work of this division has expanded rapidly
due to the alarming increase in kinds of plant pests in North
Carolina. Insects, plant diseases and nematodes are all becom-ing
more destructive and require expanded programs for effec-tive
quarantine and control. Eradication or control of plant
pests is absolutely essential for adequate food and feed in our
expanding economy. Plant pests cause a damage of over 12 bil-lion
dollars each year in the United States, with North Carolina
experiencing its share of this frightful loss.
The Division of Entomology cooperates with the Plant Pest
Control Division of the U. S. Department of Agriculture in all
phases of plant pest control work in North Carolina.
Nursery Inspection
The Division of Entomology has the enormous task of care-fully
inspecting and issuing certificates to every plant nursery
in North Carolina each year. This is the largest single project
of this division. The division also licenses nursery stock dealers,
and they are inspected, as time permits, to see that only stock
from certified sources is sold in North Carolina.
The steady increase in numbers of certified nurseries and
dealers continues. There are now 849 nurseries and 632 nursery
dealers in North Carolina. If the present growth continues,
North Carolina will have over 1,000 nurseries within the near
future. The increase in nursery stock dealers has also been
consistent and is expected to continue its present trend.
Nurseries in the vicinity of quarantine areas are given addi-tional
inspections and treatments by state and federal inspectors
as required by state and federal regulations. Such supervision
and inspections are carefully done by trained staff members who
are highly efficient and faithful in their duties.
54 N. C. Department of Agriculture
Witchweed
Witchweed, which was first discovered in North Carolina in
1956, now infests 15 counties: Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus,
Cumberland, Duplin, Harnett, Hoke, Johnston, Lenoir, Pender,
Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland and Wayne. Seven
counties are infested in South Carolina.
The federal government maintains a fully staffed witchweed
laboratory on the Border Belt Research Station near Whiteville,
North Carolina, for basic research on this important pest. An
intensive cooperative program with farmers, carried out largely
with federal funds, has enabled growers to control the witchweed
in the infested area. This project requires hundreds of field in-spectors
and control men in supervising the applications of herbi-cides
and in administering "catch-crop" and "trap-crop" pro-grams.
North Carolina has an infested area which includes 78,689
acres located on 4,706 farms. All infested acreage is under cul-tural
or chemical control programs.
Imported Fire Ant
The imported fire ant, one of the worst pests in the deep South,
has been found in eight North Carolina counties: Brunswick,
Carteret, Craven, Mecklenburg, Onslow, Pamlico, Robeson and
Wake. There are 11,618 acres in the infested area; 7,451 acres
have been treated. This includes all known infestations in seven
counties. The remaining area in Carteret County is now being
treated in cooperation with the Plant Pest Control Division of
the U. S. Department of Agriculture.
Soybean Cyst Nematode
The soybean cyst nematode is now found in nine counties:
Camden, Currituck, Gates, New Hanover, Pasquotank, Pender,
Perquimans, Tyrrell and Union. This infested area includes
4,839 acres on 131 properties.
Fumigation with DD, used at the rate of 80 gallons per acre,
looks promising. Two 40-gallon treatments are applied at two-week
intervals.
The survey is continuing. Soil samples are collected, brought
to the laboratory, and examined under a microscope. This pro-cedure
is exacting and must be done by trained personnel.
Report for 1958-60
—
Entomology 55
This entire program is carried out in cooperation with the
Plant Pest Control Division of the U. S. Department of Agricul-ture.
A strict quarantine in the infested area prevents the
spread of this pest into uninfested areas. The soybean cyst
nematode has been found also in Virginia and in several states
bordering on the Mississippi River.
White-Fringed Beetle
White-fringed beetle infestations have been found in 27 coun-ties,
and eradication work has been under way for a number of
years. We are delighted to report that all known infestations
have been treated in 24 of these counties, leaving only three
counties to be treated in North Carolina. These three counties
are Anson, New Hanover and Pender.
As of June 30, 1960, acres treated for the white-fringed beetle
totaled 22,735, leaving 7,252 acres to be treated.
The quarantine and inspection phases of this program are be-ing
continued as in the past. The entire project is carried out
in cooperation with the Plant Pest Control Division of the U. S.
Department of Agriculture.
Japanese Beetle
The Japanese beetle has been found in all except the following
seven counties of the state: Anson, Clay, Cleveland, Chatham,
Graham, Lincoln and Montgomery.
This program, carried out in cooperation with the Plant Pest
Control Division, U. S. Department of Agriculture, is limited to
enforcement of the quarantine, inspection of nurseries and ship-ping
point areas. Spray treatments have been applied to infested
vicinities of shipping points.
Apiary Inspection
Areas with bee diseases have been carefully inspected, and
colonies found infected with American foul-brood were destroy-ed
or treated with antibiotics. All requests for inspections were
promptly made. A total of 13,858 colonies were inspected, and
290 were found infected with American foul-brood, which rep-resents
a 2.1 percent infection. Follow-up inspections indicate
that this program is very effective in controlling American foul-brood.
56 N. C. Department of Agriculture
Approximately 12 queen breeder certificates are issued each
year.
Apiary inspections in the past have been largely concerned
with brood diseases. However, in the fall of 1959 a mite causing
disease of adult bees in Europe and Great Britain was reported
from California. This is known as ACARINE disease. Careful
microscopic examinations of bees from about 1,000 colonies were
made in an effort to locate the disease, if it existed in North
Carolina. The results were negative and subsequent reports
from California indicate that the initial report was in error.
Narcissus Inspection
Narcissus inspection has been a part of the program of the
Division of Entomology for many years. Growers who request
inspection are granted this service each season. One hundred
and seven acres on 10 properties were carefully inspected for
nematode infestations in 1959, and 84 acres on 12 properties in
1960. Each year only two properties were found infested. The
growers took prompt action to eliminate the infestations.
Insect Collection and Identification
The large insect collection, including over 2,000,000 speci-mens
representing 16,000 different kinds of insects, is now hous-ed
in modern up-to-date pest-proof cabinets which offer efficient
handling. The insect collection and survey is a reservoir of in-formation
on insect conditions in North Carolina and is con-stantly
being used by specialists throughout the nation. There
is close cooperation with national entomologists in exchanging
insect identification records. The insect collection is an indis-pensable
tool for our insect identification service to the people
of North Carolina. Service identification of insect specimens
sent in from all over the state averages approximately 5,000
specimens each year. Several hundred specimens of plant dis-eases
are diagnosed each year.
Through regular insect surveys, a constant watch is being
kept for new insect pests. Last year, a snout weevil, which feeds
on shrubs, was discovered within the state for the first time.
This beetle had not been found in the United States before. This
beetle is a native of India. Its potential importance, as a pest
of crops, is now under study and observation.
Regular insect surveys are extremely valuable in ascertaining
Report for 1958-60
—
Entomology 57
the limits of infestation of new insects before they spread from
a small area and cause considerable loss. Vast numbers of insect
specimens obtained from surveys are added to the collection for
future reference.
Vegetable Plant Inspection
On March 18, 1959, the General Assembly passed the Vege-table
Plant Law, and the Division of Entomology was given the
responsibility of its administration. This act regulates the sale
of certain vegetable plants brought into North Carolina. The
plants under the provisions of this act include pepper, eggplant,
sweet potato, onion, cabbage and tomato plants, intended for
transplanting purposes.
The following number of plants were inspected and passed for
sale in North Carolina during the biennium
:
1959 1960
Cabbage 571,000 7,984,000
Onions 20,000 10,906,000
Pepper 3,312,000 601,000
Sweet Potato 639,000 2,758,000
Tomato 5,626,000 4,196,000
The quality of plants, shipped into North Carolina, has been
greatly improved due to the strict provisions of the Vegetable
Plant Law. Stop-sale tags were placed on all containers which
did not meet the requirements of our law.
Cooperation With U. S. Department of Agriculture
Most of the work of the Division of Entomology is done in
close cooperation with the Plant Pest Control Division of the
U. S. Department of Agriculture, with which it has maintained
cordial relations for many years.
North Carolina State College
The Division of Entomology has, for many years, also main-tained
a cordial cooperative relationship with the Agricultural
Experiment Station, the Extension Service and various individ-ual
departments of N. C. State College, who are always glad to
cooperate with us in every possible way.
DIVISION OF MARKETS
John A. Winfield
Director
For individual farmers, marketing has presented one of the
greatest problems in adjusting to the new era of technology in
agriculture.
Traditionally the primary interest of the farmer has been
production ; getting from his land and labor resources the max-imum
yield. Marketing consisted of disposing of his unprocess-ed
production to the nearest buyer at whatever price he could
get for it.
Today, however, with all his investment in modern farming,
he must prepare his commodities to receive the top dollar possi-ble.
This means cleaning, grading, packaging or other prelim-inary
processing before the products even move off the farm.
But the change is even more fundamental than this, because pro-duction
and marketing have become so completely intermingled
that it is scarcely possible to deal with them separately.
Therefore, the staff of the Markets Division must keep farm-ers
informed of the kinds or varieties of products in demand,
methods of harvesting and handling to meet buyer requirements
;
and, at the other end of the scale, they must work with the in-dustries
processing agricultural raw materials to the end that
consumer appeal continues to provide a steady demand for farm
production. In short, they must constitute a kind of unbroken
"assembly-line" from farm to table.
Meeting this need is further complicated by the fact that no
other phase of agriculture is in quite such a highly transitional
stage as marketing. The complete revolution in retail selling,
the ever increasing demand for graded, uniform farm products
with more and more "built-in" services at the consumer level
makes an impact all the way back to the farm. Obviously it is
impossible for farmers themselves to cover such a span alone.
Therefore, the work of governmental marketing agencies be-comes
increasingly important every year; particularly here in
North Carolina where agriculture means more than a billion
dollars to the state's economy in farm income alone, and where
farming is the means of livelihood for so many people.
The major objective of the Markets Division is to help farmers
Report for 1958-60
—
Markets 59
do a more efficient job of marketing and thereby obtain a higher
return from their labor and investment. But in working toward
such an objective, emphasis must be shifted from time to time
to meet changing conditions ; and certain phases of the work
which received increased emphasis during this biennium have
brought about noticeable improvements in the quality of farm
products marketed.
Direct assistance to producers, buyers and sellers, constitutes
one phase given stepped-up emphasis. When possible and prac-tical,
specialists used this approach. Unfortunately, however,
only limited use could be made of direct assistance because of
the vast number of individuals needing and seeking aid. Conse-quently,
it was necessary to rely heavily on group meetings and
mass news media to keep the farm people informed of the rapid
changes occurring in the field of agricultural marketing.
Added emphasis was placed on keeping producers and trades-people
informed on current market conditions. When buyers
and sellers are informed as accurately and completely as possi-ble,
competition plays a more important role in marketing and
thereby benefits the farmer and the consumer. While definite
progress was made along these lines during the biennium, it is
apparent that there is still a serious need for additional coverage
on many commodity markets.
The increasing awareness among farmers of their need to
adopt more efficient marketing practices, and their desire to do
this, is encouraging. Never before has there been more evidence
of this than during the 1958-60 biennium. It was noticeable not
only from the record number of requests for assistance and in-formation
which this division received, but was also apparent in
the market place where buyers expressed satisfaction with the
products offered and, in most instances, reflected this in the price
they paid. Therefore, we can look into the future with a certain
degree of optimism. Yet it would be unrealistic to overlook the
many obstacles which always are present in so complicated a
field as marketing.
The Division of Markets continued to enjoy splendid working
relations with other agencies during the biennium. And, it is
the desire of the division to continue this cooperative approach
in future efforts toward a more efficient marketing system for
North Carolina's agricultural products.
Following is a summary of activities for the biennium in vari-ous
phases covered by this Division
:
60 N. C. Department of Agriculture
Fruits And Vegetables (Inspection and Regulatory)
This branch of the Fruit and Vegetable Section is responsible
for employing and supervising 100 to 300 inspectors annually
to grade and certify the quality of fruits, vegetables and peanuts
;
and for assessing and collecting fees to cover the cost of the
grading work. It is also responsible for carrying out the provi-sions
of the "Handlers Act" and the North Carolina Seed Potato
Law.
During the biennium, 17 training classes were conducted in
which 142 men were trained for fruit, vegetable and peanut
grading work, and 28 were given on-the-job training. In addi-tion,
340 experienced inspectors were given refresher courses.
Nine conferences were held with key personnel, and instruction
was given in supervisory duties, general inspection policies and
grade interpretations.
Fifty to 80 graders were employed during the summer move-ment
of potatoes, vegetables, peaches and melons and from 200
to 260 during the peak movement of peanuts and sweet potatoes
in the fall and winter months.
The volume of grading and certification work for this period
was as follows: 10,363 carlot equivalents for producers and
shippers of fruits, vegetables and cleaned and shelled peanuts;
570,460,000 pounds of farmers' stock peanuts delivered to buying
points by farmers ; and 2,184,043 packages of berries, vegetables
and sweet potatoes at auction markets. A total of 858 carlots
of fruits, vegetables and melons were certified for wholesale re-ceivers
within the state and 6,147,652 pounds of produce were
graded at or for delivery to state and federal institutions and
military installations.
The volume of seed potatoes examined to determine compliance
with the Seed Potato Law was 361,000 hundredweight.
Under the Handlers Act, contracts by processors with farmers
to produce vegetables for processing were examined and, upon
approval of contracts, 37 permits were issued to processors au-thorizing
contractual agreements. Bonds or certified copies of
satisfactory financial statements were required to insure pay-ment
to producers for produce grown under contract.
Staff members of this section participated in meetings of farm-ers,
produce handlers and professional workers. These meetings
were attended by approximately 1,500 persons interested in im-
Report for 1958-60
—
Markets 61
proving the marketing and grading of agricultural products in
North Carolina.
Special memoranda were issued to licensed graders of farm
products and frequent visits were made to the areas where in-spection
work was being conducted, the purpose being to see
that grade interpretation and application were uniform through-out
the state.
Fruits and Vegetables (Service)
Progress is being made in keeping abreast of changing trends
in fruit and vegetable marketing, but there is a continuing need
for: (1) promoting consumer packaging ; (2) encouraging more
uniform and higher quality packs; (3) reducing handling costs;
(4) more effective promoting and advertising; (5) assembling
quality and quantity at one point for centralized marketing;
(6) promoting commodity group organization; (7) promoting
contractual production of commodities that are in demand for
processing.
During the past biennium, considerable effort was devoted to-ward
solving these problems by working through the cooperative
action of state and federal agencies, producers and handlers,
associations, cooperatives, and other organized groups. Special
attention was given to some of these problems which could be
included in research projects under federal matching funds ap-plied
to improve marketing practices of fruits and vegetables.
Division specialists conducted or assisted other agencies in
the following projects
:
(1) Promoted asparagus acreage in Robeson and Hoke Coun-ties
as an early cash crop to bolster the income lost in tobacco
and cotton acreage reductions.
(2) Bringing in three new pickle cucumber processor buyers,
and assisting them in contracting for 930 acres of processing
type cucumbers in Robeson, Hoke and Scotland Counties.
(3) Assisted pepper processing plant at Dunn to increase
from 500 to 1,100 acres of contract peppers in Harnett, Sampson
and Cumberland Counties.
(4) Assisted Gerber Baby Foods Company in contracting for
sweet potato acreage on a trial basis in Pitt County. If the
product is satisfactory they intend to increase this acreage for
the entire requirements of their North Carolina plant.
(5) Assisted producers and handlers in obtaining 7,500 bush-
62 N. C. Department of Agriculture
els of certified cork-free sweet potatoes for plant propagation.
(6) Promoted the production of 3,000 acres of watermelons
in Bertie, Gates, Martin, and Halifax Counties, to be sold through
centralized marketing at Windsor. Assisted producers and han-dlers
to obtain 7,000 lbs. of certified disease-free watermelon
seed from the arid regions of the west coast.
(7) Assisted peach, apple, and potato producer associations to
continue their assessments or to hold referendums on the ques-tion
of assessing themselves to raise funds for advertising and
promoting increased consumption of their respective commodity.
(8) Continued to issue fruit and vegetable bulletins which
listed the products available, normal harvesting dates, and loca-tion
of the various products. These bulletins were sent to 700
buyers, dealers and handlers in 20 states.
These projects and assistance programs enabled small farm-ers,
by producing under contract, to receive the same price at
the market place as larger producers received. Bringing in new
early cash crops to areas formerly planted only to tobacco or
cotton helped to supplement the producers' over all income.
Other activities during the biennium included
:
(1) Participating in 72 conferences pertaining to fresh or
processing crops. These conferences were attended by 1,317 per-sons
and included research, production, Extension and Conserva-tion
and Development workers, as well as buyers, bankers, and
processors.
(2) Assisting 25 county farm agents with varied marketing
problems.
(3) Participating in 48 group meetings, attended by 1,262
producers, buyers and processors for the purpose of promoting
new cash crops in a number of different communities.
(4) Conducting 163 farm demonstrations for improving har-vesting,
grading and packaging of products.
(5) Assisting 678 producers in either direct sales or in finding
buyers for their products.
(6) Assisting 78 firms in securing certified seed, contractual
acreage, locating grading and processing equipment or sources
of supply of fresh products.
(7) Holding 435 personal interviews with producers on varie-ties,
harvesting, grading, packing and assembling for marketing.
(8) Assisting 18 vocational agriculture teachers with better
marketing practices for these young future producers of fruits
and vegetables.
Report for 1958-60
—
Markets 63
(9) Conducting a program of coordinating f.o.b. prices in the
13-county Irish potato producing area to prevent fide differen-tials
in prices from one area to the other. This work was con-ducted
in cooperation with the N. C. Potato Association, Inc.
Cotton And Engineering
Technical assistance to cotton ginners, which division special-ists
began in 1945, has been a big factor in keeping North Caro-lina
cotton on a par with southeastern growths. It also has
provided an excellent approach to new problems as they develop.
Services to cotton are designed to : ( 1 ) preserve the grade and
processing (or spinning) qualities of North Carolina cotton and
cotton seed through more efficient pre-ginning handling and
conditioning, ginning and storage ; (2) improve the marketing of
the state's cotton by providing laboratory test data on fiber prop-erties
every two weeks during the harvesting and ginning season
;
(3) improve and integrate the operating policies of all raw cot-ton
interests, particularly ginners and initial cotton buyers, and
(4) cooperate with and supplement cotton programs of other
agencies and interest organizations.
Requirements of the textile industry have changed materially
within the past five years. Competition between domestic and
foreign growths and between artificial fibers and blends, plus\
the urgent need to reduce manufacturing costs, have created a j
more exacting market for cotton. Consequently, the prosperity <
of the raw cotton industry depends, to a large extent, on the ;
ability of domestic cotton farmers to grow and harvest and have /
their cotton ginned for specific end uses. These circumstances '
have increased the need for maximum use of such marketing aids
as fiber testing, more exact classification and the designation of \
color and foreign matter factors in grades. In order to achieve
these objectives, it is going to be necessary to revamp ginning
technology and pre-ginning handling, conditioning and process-ing
as quickly as possible.
Cotton work for the biennium included over 900 gin visits,
approximately 100 cotton mill contacts and attendance at 150
ginner meetings.
Technical or engineering assistance to the corn milling indus-try
in North Carolina is a continuing assignment of this section.
This work has resulted in outstanding improvement of facilities
and as a byproduct of this improvement there have been some
fine promotional developments within the industry. There is a
64 N. C. Department of Agriculture
growing tendency for our larger mills to give serious considera-tion
to their promotional activities and support these activities
by putting out a better product. Our milling specialist was suc-cessful
in developing a hushpuppy mix and an enriched corn meal
muffin mix which met with consumer acceptance over the state.
Trade associations of the corn milling industry are in the
process of developing a number of promotional activities coop-eratively.
In addition to work with miller groups, specialists made ap-proximately
250 mill visits annually during the past two years.
Other assignments of the section include providing technical
or engineering assistance to the commodity sections whose needs
do not warrant the employment of a full-time engineer. This
means that this section's engineers must keep abreast of market-ing
needs and alert to any calls for engineering assistance that
may originate within the division or be requested by other divi-sions
of the department.
These varied activities for the biennium included designing
and superv

THE LIBRARY OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF
NORTH CAROLINA
THE COLLECTION OF
NORTH CAROLINIANA
ENDOWED BY
JOHN SPRUNT HILL
CLASS OF 1889
C630.6
N8a
19S8/60
UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL
00033953721
This book must not
be taken from the
Library building.
J
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2011 with funding from
Ensuring Democracy through Digital Access (NC-LSTA)
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* percent on members' savings.
As required by Subchapter III, Chapter 54 of the General
Statutes of North Carolina, this division makes annual exami-nations
of all credit unions and followup visits when necessary.
The problem of inadequate records and poor management con-tinues
to be our chief source of trouble. In an effort to improve
this situation, this division, through its examiners, has helped
put on a three-day workshop at A & T College in Greensboro,
North Carolina, each year for credit union treasurers and the
supervisory committee members.
Since many credit unions have grown and their operations
have become more complicated, the need for certain amendments
to strengthen the credit union law is now apparent. As it now
stands, the law does not provide adequate authority to take nee-
48 N. C. Department of Agriculture
essary action in such cases as inadequate records, gross misman-agement,
or misappropriation of funds on the part of any credit
union officer or officers.
Credit unions file with this division semi-annual financial and
statistical reports, and they also pay fees to this division based
on their assets. The information contained in this report is
compiled from the semi-annual reports.
NUMBER, MEMBERSHIP AND ASSETS
OF STATE-CHARTERED CREDIT UNIONS
June 30, 1958 June 30, 1960
Active Credit Unions 232 238
Total Members - 83,658 100,000
Total Assets $24,544,900.47 $32,160,847.55
Average Dividend .042% .045%
NORTH CAROLINA CREDIT UNIONS
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET
June 30, 1958 June 30, 1960
ASSETS
Cash in Bank and on Hand $ 1,703,626.92 $ 1,444,044.66
Loans to Members .... 18,530,343.85 25,493,361.25
Investments and Bonds 3,829,265.13 4,339,292.65
Other Assets _ 481,664.57 884,148.99
$24,544,900.47 $32,160,847.55
LIABILITIES
Shares _ $19,867,044.27 $25,675,601.40
Deposits __._ 1,100,242.62 1,062,285.98
Reserve Fund 1,372,311.40 2,350,834.94
Undivided Earnings 537,270.55 1,296,835.87
Other Liabilities 1,668,031.63 1,775,289.36
$24,544,900.47 $32,160,847.55
DAIRY DIVISION
C. W. Pegram
Director
Dairying continues to be increasingly important to both the
economy and the physical well-being of North Carolina.
The state's gross dairy farm income alone was over 100 mil-lion
dollars in 1959, almost three times what it was in 1940, and
represented approximately 25 percent of the total gross income
from all livestock and livestock products.
The state has more than 4,200 farmers producing Grade A
milk, which is primarily for the bottled milk market, and last
year they sold nearly one billion pounds of milk to distributing
plants. Some 12,000 other farmers supply what is known as
"manufacturing" milk to cheese, butter, evaporated milk and
other processing plants, and their production totaled more than
105 million pounds in 1959.
While the work of the Dairy Division has consumer protection
as its primary purpose, it directly affects the welfare of dairy
farming and dairy processing industries. Steady increases in
the state's milk consumption over a period of years reflect both
continued improvements in production and marketing and con-sumer
assurance resulting from the state's regulatory programs.
Certainly farmers and dairy processors are to be congratu-lated
on the progress they have made by availing themselves of
new technologies for improved products and more efficient opera-tion.
Technological developments have taken place in the dairy
industry all the way from the cow to the consumer's doorstep.
These include farm bulk tanks, milking parlors, and artificial
breeding on farms ; along with flavor standardization and auto-mation
in processing plants.
However, as is typical of such innovations, some have created
new problems. One of the most serious of such problems con-fronting
this division during the past biennium resulted from
new discoveries of potential danger from penicillin and certain
pesticide residues in milk and other foods, followed immediately
by state and federal bans on the sale of foods containing even
the minutest trace of such residues. This situation called for
urgent and intensive action on the part of the Dairy Division.
50 N. C. Department of Agriculture
Within a period of only a few weeks, the division secured milk
samples from every Grade A dairyman in the state. These sam-ples
were tested for antibiotic residues, particularly penicillin
which is used in treating cows for certain diseases. It was most
gratifying to find that only a very small percentage of dairy
farmers were failing to withhold from the market for a sufficient
length of time milk from animals treated with the antibiotics.
In the few such cases found, division inspectors made follow-up
visits to see that proper practices were being followed.
Realizing the gravity of this problem agencies and industries
interested in every phase of dairying made a united effort to
inform all milk producers of the necessity for carefully follow-ing
directions in using antibiotics. As a result, dairymen are
giving excellent cooperation in preventing antibiotic residues in
milk. It is interesting to note that no evidence of penicillin has
been found on tests made on bottled fluid milk supplied to the
public.
The pesticide residue problems has arisen from the use of in-secticides
on milking cows, or on feed crops. Some insecticides
constitute a threat to the safety of milk for human consumption
if improperly used, as residues from them may be stored in the
fat of the human body and are considered accumulative to a
danger point. The test for pesticides is very complicated and
time consuming. A pesticide testing laboratory section has been
recently added to the central dairy products laboratory.
It is anticipated that the pesticide laboratory will be of great
assistance to the dairy industry since the present assay requires
specialized equipment, and highly trained personnel.
Preliminary surveys show no evidence of pesticides in our
finished market milk supplies. Pesticides have a very necessary
place on our farms, but it behooves dairymen to use them prop-erly.
Otherwise they will be unable to sell their milk.
One of the principal duties of the Dairy Division is to super-vise
the sampling and testing of milk and cream purchased on
butterfat basis. During the last biennium over 76,000 check
tests were made covering the sampling and testing of 233 licensed
samplers and 111 licensed testers, which required 1,669 official
investigations. The use of farm bulk tanks by dairymen has
made for more accurate and representative milk samples which
are a prerequisite for accurate butterfat tests. Samplers and
testers are required to take both technical and practical exami-nations.
Excellent cooperation has been received from the
Report for 1958-60
—
Dairy 51
licensed samplers and testers in this program. Milk plants have
also cooperated by acquiring additional equipment, such as elec-tric
water baths. Check testing is carried on in the central and
the two field laboratories.
The Milk Commission requires that market milk contain a
minimum butterfat content of 3.6 percent. Under a cooperative
arrangement, the Dairy Division makes the butterfat tests for
the Commission, and 2,890 such tests were made during the bien-nium.
In addition, this division makes other butterfat tests and
bacteria analyses on milk and dairy products to see that they
meet state-wide minimum standards for consumer protection.
Much time is devoted to the ice cream and frozen desserts in-spection
program. This work is carried on in field and labora-tory.
Samples are purchased wherever offered for sale and de-livered
to the central laboratory, where both chemical and bac-terial
analyses are made. When deficiencies are found, plants
are inspected to find the cause and see that corrections are made.
The Dairy Division cooperates with the Division of Weights and
Measures in checking weights of frozen desserts.
Innovations such as mobile frozen dessert units and dispenser
milk shake machines have added new responsibilities. Depots
for mobile units are required to have certain facilities necessary
for proper sanitation. During the past year improvement in
quality has been found in the various mixes used in these prod-ucts
such as soft-serve ice milk and milk shakes. This is in part
due to the use of single-service containers for the mixes.
During the past biennium 2,079 field inspections were made.
It was necessary to close 10 operators for failure to comply with
state standards during the biennium.
Modern laboratory techniques offer the consumer protection
as to quality, and 3,662 frozen dessert samples were given com-plete
analyses during the biennium. Laboratory findings make
for efficient field inspection. During the past year special em-phasis
has been placed on the elimination of high bacteria counts
which existed in the products of some plants and soft-serve
stores. This plan has been very effective, as marked improve-ments
in quality have been noted.
As improvements and "know how" have developed in the
processing of all foods, the frozen dessert industry has kept
pace with regard to purity and quality of product.
Since milk and all other dairy products are universally sold in
package form, the matter of proper labeling is of importance to
52 N. C. Department of Agriculture
consumers. All samples are carefully observed for proper label-ing
and corrections are required in instances where mislabeling
occurs.
The division continually checks for adulteration of milk, either
by carelessness or intent. A total of 5,896 samples were tested
by cryoscope for the presence of added water during the last two
years.
In addition to making butterfat tests for the Milk Commission,
the Dairy Division makes tests for the Federal School Lunch
Program, milk analyses for several local health departments,
and inspections for the U. S. Public Health Service covering
frozen desserts supplied to interstate carriers. Assays are also
made for several Army units that do not have laboratory facili-ties.
The division cooperates to the fullest possible extent in
meeting requests for assistance.
The Dairy Division administers the Milk Import Law which
is designed to assure consumers that the quality and wholesome-ness
of milk shipped into the state meets North Carolina stan-dards.
As North Carolina dairymen have materially increased
their milk production per cow and managed their operations for
better seasonal adjustment of supply, milk imports have steadily
decreased during the past 10 years ; although there was some
increase in 1959 because of the unusually severe winter. The
Dairy Division and the Milk Commission have been cooperating
to direct milk from plants having surplus to plants with short
supply within the state. This is a significant marketing program
which is resulting in better utilization of milk and tremendous
savings to both dairy farmers and processing plants.
DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY
C. H. Brannon
State Entomologist
The work of the Division of Entomology is based upon the
State Plant Pest Law which was amended in 1957 (Chapter 106,
Article 36). The work of this division has expanded rapidly
due to the alarming increase in kinds of plant pests in North
Carolina. Insects, plant diseases and nematodes are all becom-ing
more destructive and require expanded programs for effec-tive
quarantine and control. Eradication or control of plant
pests is absolutely essential for adequate food and feed in our
expanding economy. Plant pests cause a damage of over 12 bil-lion
dollars each year in the United States, with North Carolina
experiencing its share of this frightful loss.
The Division of Entomology cooperates with the Plant Pest
Control Division of the U. S. Department of Agriculture in all
phases of plant pest control work in North Carolina.
Nursery Inspection
The Division of Entomology has the enormous task of care-fully
inspecting and issuing certificates to every plant nursery
in North Carolina each year. This is the largest single project
of this division. The division also licenses nursery stock dealers,
and they are inspected, as time permits, to see that only stock
from certified sources is sold in North Carolina.
The steady increase in numbers of certified nurseries and
dealers continues. There are now 849 nurseries and 632 nursery
dealers in North Carolina. If the present growth continues,
North Carolina will have over 1,000 nurseries within the near
future. The increase in nursery stock dealers has also been
consistent and is expected to continue its present trend.
Nurseries in the vicinity of quarantine areas are given addi-tional
inspections and treatments by state and federal inspectors
as required by state and federal regulations. Such supervision
and inspections are carefully done by trained staff members who
are highly efficient and faithful in their duties.
54 N. C. Department of Agriculture
Witchweed
Witchweed, which was first discovered in North Carolina in
1956, now infests 15 counties: Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus,
Cumberland, Duplin, Harnett, Hoke, Johnston, Lenoir, Pender,
Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland and Wayne. Seven
counties are infested in South Carolina.
The federal government maintains a fully staffed witchweed
laboratory on the Border Belt Research Station near Whiteville,
North Carolina, for basic research on this important pest. An
intensive cooperative program with farmers, carried out largely
with federal funds, has enabled growers to control the witchweed
in the infested area. This project requires hundreds of field in-spectors
and control men in supervising the applications of herbi-cides
and in administering "catch-crop" and "trap-crop" pro-grams.
North Carolina has an infested area which includes 78,689
acres located on 4,706 farms. All infested acreage is under cul-tural
or chemical control programs.
Imported Fire Ant
The imported fire ant, one of the worst pests in the deep South,
has been found in eight North Carolina counties: Brunswick,
Carteret, Craven, Mecklenburg, Onslow, Pamlico, Robeson and
Wake. There are 11,618 acres in the infested area; 7,451 acres
have been treated. This includes all known infestations in seven
counties. The remaining area in Carteret County is now being
treated in cooperation with the Plant Pest Control Division of
the U. S. Department of Agriculture.
Soybean Cyst Nematode
The soybean cyst nematode is now found in nine counties:
Camden, Currituck, Gates, New Hanover, Pasquotank, Pender,
Perquimans, Tyrrell and Union. This infested area includes
4,839 acres on 131 properties.
Fumigation with DD, used at the rate of 80 gallons per acre,
looks promising. Two 40-gallon treatments are applied at two-week
intervals.
The survey is continuing. Soil samples are collected, brought
to the laboratory, and examined under a microscope. This pro-cedure
is exacting and must be done by trained personnel.
Report for 1958-60
—
Entomology 55
This entire program is carried out in cooperation with the
Plant Pest Control Division of the U. S. Department of Agricul-ture.
A strict quarantine in the infested area prevents the
spread of this pest into uninfested areas. The soybean cyst
nematode has been found also in Virginia and in several states
bordering on the Mississippi River.
White-Fringed Beetle
White-fringed beetle infestations have been found in 27 coun-ties,
and eradication work has been under way for a number of
years. We are delighted to report that all known infestations
have been treated in 24 of these counties, leaving only three
counties to be treated in North Carolina. These three counties
are Anson, New Hanover and Pender.
As of June 30, 1960, acres treated for the white-fringed beetle
totaled 22,735, leaving 7,252 acres to be treated.
The quarantine and inspection phases of this program are be-ing
continued as in the past. The entire project is carried out
in cooperation with the Plant Pest Control Division of the U. S.
Department of Agriculture.
Japanese Beetle
The Japanese beetle has been found in all except the following
seven counties of the state: Anson, Clay, Cleveland, Chatham,
Graham, Lincoln and Montgomery.
This program, carried out in cooperation with the Plant Pest
Control Division, U. S. Department of Agriculture, is limited to
enforcement of the quarantine, inspection of nurseries and ship-ping
point areas. Spray treatments have been applied to infested
vicinities of shipping points.
Apiary Inspection
Areas with bee diseases have been carefully inspected, and
colonies found infected with American foul-brood were destroy-ed
or treated with antibiotics. All requests for inspections were
promptly made. A total of 13,858 colonies were inspected, and
290 were found infected with American foul-brood, which rep-resents
a 2.1 percent infection. Follow-up inspections indicate
that this program is very effective in controlling American foul-brood.
56 N. C. Department of Agriculture
Approximately 12 queen breeder certificates are issued each
year.
Apiary inspections in the past have been largely concerned
with brood diseases. However, in the fall of 1959 a mite causing
disease of adult bees in Europe and Great Britain was reported
from California. This is known as ACARINE disease. Careful
microscopic examinations of bees from about 1,000 colonies were
made in an effort to locate the disease, if it existed in North
Carolina. The results were negative and subsequent reports
from California indicate that the initial report was in error.
Narcissus Inspection
Narcissus inspection has been a part of the program of the
Division of Entomology for many years. Growers who request
inspection are granted this service each season. One hundred
and seven acres on 10 properties were carefully inspected for
nematode infestations in 1959, and 84 acres on 12 properties in
1960. Each year only two properties were found infested. The
growers took prompt action to eliminate the infestations.
Insect Collection and Identification
The large insect collection, including over 2,000,000 speci-mens
representing 16,000 different kinds of insects, is now hous-ed
in modern up-to-date pest-proof cabinets which offer efficient
handling. The insect collection and survey is a reservoir of in-formation
on insect conditions in North Carolina and is con-stantly
being used by specialists throughout the nation. There
is close cooperation with national entomologists in exchanging
insect identification records. The insect collection is an indis-pensable
tool for our insect identification service to the people
of North Carolina. Service identification of insect specimens
sent in from all over the state averages approximately 5,000
specimens each year. Several hundred specimens of plant dis-eases
are diagnosed each year.
Through regular insect surveys, a constant watch is being
kept for new insect pests. Last year, a snout weevil, which feeds
on shrubs, was discovered within the state for the first time.
This beetle had not been found in the United States before. This
beetle is a native of India. Its potential importance, as a pest
of crops, is now under study and observation.
Regular insect surveys are extremely valuable in ascertaining
Report for 1958-60
—
Entomology 57
the limits of infestation of new insects before they spread from
a small area and cause considerable loss. Vast numbers of insect
specimens obtained from surveys are added to the collection for
future reference.
Vegetable Plant Inspection
On March 18, 1959, the General Assembly passed the Vege-table
Plant Law, and the Division of Entomology was given the
responsibility of its administration. This act regulates the sale
of certain vegetable plants brought into North Carolina. The
plants under the provisions of this act include pepper, eggplant,
sweet potato, onion, cabbage and tomato plants, intended for
transplanting purposes.
The following number of plants were inspected and passed for
sale in North Carolina during the biennium
:
1959 1960
Cabbage 571,000 7,984,000
Onions 20,000 10,906,000
Pepper 3,312,000 601,000
Sweet Potato 639,000 2,758,000
Tomato 5,626,000 4,196,000
The quality of plants, shipped into North Carolina, has been
greatly improved due to the strict provisions of the Vegetable
Plant Law. Stop-sale tags were placed on all containers which
did not meet the requirements of our law.
Cooperation With U. S. Department of Agriculture
Most of the work of the Division of Entomology is done in
close cooperation with the Plant Pest Control Division of the
U. S. Department of Agriculture, with which it has maintained
cordial relations for many years.
North Carolina State College
The Division of Entomology has, for many years, also main-tained
a cordial cooperative relationship with the Agricultural
Experiment Station, the Extension Service and various individ-ual
departments of N. C. State College, who are always glad to
cooperate with us in every possible way.
DIVISION OF MARKETS
John A. Winfield
Director
For individual farmers, marketing has presented one of the
greatest problems in adjusting to the new era of technology in
agriculture.
Traditionally the primary interest of the farmer has been
production ; getting from his land and labor resources the max-imum
yield. Marketing consisted of disposing of his unprocess-ed
production to the nearest buyer at whatever price he could
get for it.
Today, however, with all his investment in modern farming,
he must prepare his commodities to receive the top dollar possi-ble.
This means cleaning, grading, packaging or other prelim-inary
processing before the products even move off the farm.
But the change is even more fundamental than this, because pro-duction
and marketing have become so completely intermingled
that it is scarcely possible to deal with them separately.
Therefore, the staff of the Markets Division must keep farm-ers
informed of the kinds or varieties of products in demand,
methods of harvesting and handling to meet buyer requirements
;
and, at the other end of the scale, they must work with the in-dustries
processing agricultural raw materials to the end that
consumer appeal continues to provide a steady demand for farm
production. In short, they must constitute a kind of unbroken
"assembly-line" from farm to table.
Meeting this need is further complicated by the fact that no
other phase of agriculture is in quite such a highly transitional
stage as marketing. The complete revolution in retail selling,
the ever increasing demand for graded, uniform farm products
with more and more "built-in" services at the consumer level
makes an impact all the way back to the farm. Obviously it is
impossible for farmers themselves to cover such a span alone.
Therefore, the work of governmental marketing agencies be-comes
increasingly important every year; particularly here in
North Carolina where agriculture means more than a billion
dollars to the state's economy in farm income alone, and where
farming is the means of livelihood for so many people.
The major objective of the Markets Division is to help farmers
Report for 1958-60
—
Markets 59
do a more efficient job of marketing and thereby obtain a higher
return from their labor and investment. But in working toward
such an objective, emphasis must be shifted from time to time
to meet changing conditions ; and certain phases of the work
which received increased emphasis during this biennium have
brought about noticeable improvements in the quality of farm
products marketed.
Direct assistance to producers, buyers and sellers, constitutes
one phase given stepped-up emphasis. When possible and prac-tical,
specialists used this approach. Unfortunately, however,
only limited use could be made of direct assistance because of
the vast number of individuals needing and seeking aid. Conse-quently,
it was necessary to rely heavily on group meetings and
mass news media to keep the farm people informed of the rapid
changes occurring in the field of agricultural marketing.
Added emphasis was placed on keeping producers and trades-people
informed on current market conditions. When buyers
and sellers are informed as accurately and completely as possi-ble,
competition plays a more important role in marketing and
thereby benefits the farmer and the consumer. While definite
progress was made along these lines during the biennium, it is
apparent that there is still a serious need for additional coverage
on many commodity markets.
The increasing awareness among farmers of their need to
adopt more efficient marketing practices, and their desire to do
this, is encouraging. Never before has there been more evidence
of this than during the 1958-60 biennium. It was noticeable not
only from the record number of requests for assistance and in-formation
which this division received, but was also apparent in
the market place where buyers expressed satisfaction with the
products offered and, in most instances, reflected this in the price
they paid. Therefore, we can look into the future with a certain
degree of optimism. Yet it would be unrealistic to overlook the
many obstacles which always are present in so complicated a
field as marketing.
The Division of Markets continued to enjoy splendid working
relations with other agencies during the biennium. And, it is
the desire of the division to continue this cooperative approach
in future efforts toward a more efficient marketing system for
North Carolina's agricultural products.
Following is a summary of activities for the biennium in vari-ous
phases covered by this Division
:
60 N. C. Department of Agriculture
Fruits And Vegetables (Inspection and Regulatory)
This branch of the Fruit and Vegetable Section is responsible
for employing and supervising 100 to 300 inspectors annually
to grade and certify the quality of fruits, vegetables and peanuts
;
and for assessing and collecting fees to cover the cost of the
grading work. It is also responsible for carrying out the provi-sions
of the "Handlers Act" and the North Carolina Seed Potato
Law.
During the biennium, 17 training classes were conducted in
which 142 men were trained for fruit, vegetable and peanut
grading work, and 28 were given on-the-job training. In addi-tion,
340 experienced inspectors were given refresher courses.
Nine conferences were held with key personnel, and instruction
was given in supervisory duties, general inspection policies and
grade interpretations.
Fifty to 80 graders were employed during the summer move-ment
of potatoes, vegetables, peaches and melons and from 200
to 260 during the peak movement of peanuts and sweet potatoes
in the fall and winter months.
The volume of grading and certification work for this period
was as follows: 10,363 carlot equivalents for producers and
shippers of fruits, vegetables and cleaned and shelled peanuts;
570,460,000 pounds of farmers' stock peanuts delivered to buying
points by farmers ; and 2,184,043 packages of berries, vegetables
and sweet potatoes at auction markets. A total of 858 carlots
of fruits, vegetables and melons were certified for wholesale re-ceivers
within the state and 6,147,652 pounds of produce were
graded at or for delivery to state and federal institutions and
military installations.
The volume of seed potatoes examined to determine compliance
with the Seed Potato Law was 361,000 hundredweight.
Under the Handlers Act, contracts by processors with farmers
to produce vegetables for processing were examined and, upon
approval of contracts, 37 permits were issued to processors au-thorizing
contractual agreements. Bonds or certified copies of
satisfactory financial statements were required to insure pay-ment
to producers for produce grown under contract.
Staff members of this section participated in meetings of farm-ers,
produce handlers and professional workers. These meetings
were attended by approximately 1,500 persons interested in im-
Report for 1958-60
—
Markets 61
proving the marketing and grading of agricultural products in
North Carolina.
Special memoranda were issued to licensed graders of farm
products and frequent visits were made to the areas where in-spection
work was being conducted, the purpose being to see
that grade interpretation and application were uniform through-out
the state.
Fruits and Vegetables (Service)
Progress is being made in keeping abreast of changing trends
in fruit and vegetable marketing, but there is a continuing need
for: (1) promoting consumer packaging ; (2) encouraging more
uniform and higher quality packs; (3) reducing handling costs;
(4) more effective promoting and advertising; (5) assembling
quality and quantity at one point for centralized marketing;
(6) promoting commodity group organization; (7) promoting
contractual production of commodities that are in demand for
processing.
During the past biennium, considerable effort was devoted to-ward
solving these problems by working through the cooperative
action of state and federal agencies, producers and handlers,
associations, cooperatives, and other organized groups. Special
attention was given to some of these problems which could be
included in research projects under federal matching funds ap-plied
to improve marketing practices of fruits and vegetables.
Division specialists conducted or assisted other agencies in
the following projects
:
(1) Promoted asparagus acreage in Robeson and Hoke Coun-ties
as an early cash crop to bolster the income lost in tobacco
and cotton acreage reductions.
(2) Bringing in three new pickle cucumber processor buyers,
and assisting them in contracting for 930 acres of processing
type cucumbers in Robeson, Hoke and Scotland Counties.
(3) Assisted pepper processing plant at Dunn to increase
from 500 to 1,100 acres of contract peppers in Harnett, Sampson
and Cumberland Counties.
(4) Assisted Gerber Baby Foods Company in contracting for
sweet potato acreage on a trial basis in Pitt County. If the
product is satisfactory they intend to increase this acreage for
the entire requirements of their North Carolina plant.
(5) Assisted producers and handlers in obtaining 7,500 bush-
62 N. C. Department of Agriculture
els of certified cork-free sweet potatoes for plant propagation.
(6) Promoted the production of 3,000 acres of watermelons
in Bertie, Gates, Martin, and Halifax Counties, to be sold through
centralized marketing at Windsor. Assisted producers and han-dlers
to obtain 7,000 lbs. of certified disease-free watermelon
seed from the arid regions of the west coast.
(7) Assisted peach, apple, and potato producer associations to
continue their assessments or to hold referendums on the ques-tion
of assessing themselves to raise funds for advertising and
promoting increased consumption of their respective commodity.
(8) Continued to issue fruit and vegetable bulletins which
listed the products available, normal harvesting dates, and loca-tion
of the various products. These bulletins were sent to 700
buyers, dealers and handlers in 20 states.
These projects and assistance programs enabled small farm-ers,
by producing under contract, to receive the same price at
the market place as larger producers received. Bringing in new
early cash crops to areas formerly planted only to tobacco or
cotton helped to supplement the producers' over all income.
Other activities during the biennium included
:
(1) Participating in 72 conferences pertaining to fresh or
processing crops. These conferences were attended by 1,317 per-sons
and included research, production, Extension and Conserva-tion
and Development workers, as well as buyers, bankers, and
processors.
(2) Assisting 25 county farm agents with varied marketing
problems.
(3) Participating in 48 group meetings, attended by 1,262
producers, buyers and processors for the purpose of promoting
new cash crops in a number of different communities.
(4) Conducting 163 farm demonstrations for improving har-vesting,
grading and packaging of products.
(5) Assisting 678 producers in either direct sales or in finding
buyers for their products.
(6) Assisting 78 firms in securing certified seed, contractual
acreage, locating grading and processing equipment or sources
of supply of fresh products.
(7) Holding 435 personal interviews with producers on varie-ties,
harvesting, grading, packing and assembling for marketing.
(8) Assisting 18 vocational agriculture teachers with better
marketing practices for these young future producers of fruits
and vegetables.
Report for 1958-60
—
Markets 63
(9) Conducting a program of coordinating f.o.b. prices in the
13-county Irish potato producing area to prevent fide differen-tials
in prices from one area to the other. This work was con-ducted
in cooperation with the N. C. Potato Association, Inc.
Cotton And Engineering
Technical assistance to cotton ginners, which division special-ists
began in 1945, has been a big factor in keeping North Caro-lina
cotton on a par with southeastern growths. It also has
provided an excellent approach to new problems as they develop.
Services to cotton are designed to : ( 1 ) preserve the grade and
processing (or spinning) qualities of North Carolina cotton and
cotton seed through more efficient pre-ginning handling and
conditioning, ginning and storage ; (2) improve the marketing of
the state's cotton by providing laboratory test data on fiber prop-erties
every two weeks during the harvesting and ginning season
;
(3) improve and integrate the operating policies of all raw cot-ton
interests, particularly ginners and initial cotton buyers, and
(4) cooperate with and supplement cotton programs of other
agencies and interest organizations.
Requirements of the textile industry have changed materially
within the past five years. Competition between domestic and
foreign growths and between artificial fibers and blends, plus\
the urgent need to reduce manufacturing costs, have created a j
more exacting market for cotton. Consequently, the prosperity <
of the raw cotton industry depends, to a large extent, on the ;
ability of domestic cotton farmers to grow and harvest and have /
their cotton ginned for specific end uses. These circumstances '
have increased the need for maximum use of such marketing aids
as fiber testing, more exact classification and the designation of \
color and foreign matter factors in grades. In order to achieve
these objectives, it is going to be necessary to revamp ginning
technology and pre-ginning handling, conditioning and process-ing
as quickly as possible.
Cotton work for the biennium included over 900 gin visits,
approximately 100 cotton mill contacts and attendance at 150
ginner meetings.
Technical or engineering assistance to the corn milling indus-try
in North Carolina is a continuing assignment of this section.
This work has resulted in outstanding improvement of facilities
and as a byproduct of this improvement there have been some
fine promotional developments within the industry. There is a
64 N. C. Department of Agriculture
growing tendency for our larger mills to give serious considera-tion
to their promotional activities and support these activities
by putting out a better product. Our milling specialist was suc-cessful
in developing a hushpuppy mix and an enriched corn meal
muffin mix which met with consumer acceptance over the state.
Trade associations of the corn milling industry are in the
process of developing a number of promotional activities coop-eratively.
In addition to work with miller groups, specialists made ap-proximately
250 mill visits annually during the past two years.
Other assignments of the section include providing technical
or engineering assistance to the commodity sections whose needs
do not warrant the employment of a full-time engineer. This
means that this section's engineers must keep abreast of market-ing
needs and alert to any calls for engineering assistance that
may originate within the division or be requested by other divi-sions
of the department.
These varied activities for the biennium included designing
and superv